The Mercenary of Vincennes
by Jakespeed207
Summary: A young man, his soul damaged from what he has gone through, now follows a profession that most people shun and despise. The path of a killer for hire. In a country rife with corruption and death, how will his life take a turn when he is hired instead to guard the daughter of a rich and influential business owner? "Masaya, you have a new assignment. Long term."
1. Chapter 1

'This job never becomes any easier.'

That was the thought passing through Okonogi Masaya's head as he walked back to his apartment in the city of Tsurugigaoka.

It was nighttime in the small city, and the brunet was making his way home after his last (admittedly short) assignment. The area was quiet, which he expected. It was the reason he had chosen to come back here instead of remaining in Tokyo as the other 'test subjects' had.

At least, the ones who hadn't gone insane and committed suicide after regaining freedom they never remembered to have.

He sighed to himself as he passed a group of young drunk men and women. 'Freedom' was the most sugarcoated way he could put it. In the end, he was freed from one place only to be placed under another. And he still debated whether his new superiors were any better.

They certainly had no qualms about tossing him away if and when his usefulness ran out.

As he pondered these thoughts, a familiar sound caught his attention, coming from the intersection to his left.

It was the sound of a struggle... A fight.

His first thought was to leave it be. It had nothing to do with him. Despite that thought, however, he found himself making his way towards the sound. He figured he'd take a look at the situation, and if it was unimportant, he'd be on his way.

He was in for a rude shock.

When he arrived at the intersection, he saw what appeared to be a group of uniformed, short-haired women surrounding a single figure, who was struggling valiantly. In the flashes of sight he could catch of the lone figure, he could only think of them as 'bright in color'.

Then the uniformed women parted, revealing the person, and Masaya's dull eyes widened in shock.

He knew that face.

Not just the face, but the bubblegum-pink hair as well. It was one of his more faint memories, but there was no way he could forget the person in it.

He immediately reined himself in and schooled his features. Despite the fact that he had been freed from captivity a long time ago, by his account, the effects of the training he had been under still defined a large part of him.

And the biggest of those pain-taught lessons was 'never show emotions'.

Regardless, he studied under group as the girl he remembered as Lis Branche struggled valiantly against her captors.

Having finally caught their charge, he assumed, the uniformed women had spread out into a rough semi-circle, watching as the one he assumed was their current leader or commander held onto Lis.

"Not many openings," Masaya commented aloud to himself, scanning their poses and movements. "It may be rudimentary, but they have some training."

Softly, he began to approach his first two targets, his shoes making no noise as he approached. He kept as low as possible in order to not only stay hidden from the 'officers' but from Lis herself. Whether she recognized him or not, if she noticed and focused on him, his element of surprise would be lost, making this much more troublesome.

He stopped just behind and between two of the women, who were eerily focused on the struggle. Like a viper, he struck forward with his hands, grabbed their heads, and slammed them together, knocking them unconscious almost immediately. Even before they had fully fallen to the ground, he was already moving, dashing towards the other two women that were hanging back. They were oddly slow to react, which gave Masaya plenty of time to approach the one on the left, landing a punch directly on her solar plexus. As the woman flinched back with a cry of pain, the other women to his right tried to rush him. He sidestepped her charge and grabbed her arm by her wrist and elbow, using her momentum to swing her around himself and throw her at her partner, who had yet to recover. Both women went down in a heap.

Finally, Masaya looked at the remaining woman, who was staring at him in astonishment alongside Lis. She recovered soon enough, though.

"Who are you?!" she yelled at him, her hold on Lis wavering slightly.

Masaya did not answer. He simply stared at the woman, unnerving her. The image he presented was a somewhat terrifying one. His clothing, consisting of a suit and tie with a long coat over the jacket, was completely dark in color, to the point where the shadows around him seemed to stick to his body. His eyes were a brown color, just like his limp, neck-length hair, with large bags around them signifying a serious lack of sleep.

His most defining part, though, were his irises.

Those orbs were dull, empty, and coldly devoid of any emotion. The utter lack of anything in them made the woman shudder in a way the chilly weather could never achieve.

"Why have you intervened? This doesn't concern you," the officer continued.

Masaya once again remained silent. Instead, he began to walk towards the pair, his steps calm and just as silent as he was. The observation that worried her the most was that this seemed to be something automatic to the young man, which, when combined with his looks, drew bad assumptions to her mind.

Making a quick decision, she glared back at the pinkette in her grip, wordlessly ordering her to stay put. Letting her go, the officer approached the young man carefully, keeping her wits about her. When they were less than a meter apart and he still showed no sign of attacking, she struck, dashing forward and throwing a punch his way. Masaya leaned his head to the side, avoiding it by a hair, and yet, his facial expression never changed. He then retaliated with his own punch, a jab directed right at her sternum. She raised a knee up to block it, the impact making her wince and lose her balance somewhat. The punch had much more strength than she anticipated, considering his overall, still-boyish looks.

That temporary loss of balance was her undoing.

Before she could get her bearings, Masaya grabbed her by her jacket and pulled her towards him, twisting her around and wrapping his arm around her neck, cutting off her air flow.

As she struggled in his hold, she barely processed the whisper the young man left on her ear.

"Sorry about this, but I need to talk to her."

And a moment later, his grip tightened significantly, leaving her to pass out with curiosity burning in her mind.

As the leader finally went limp in his arms, Masaya slowly laid her on the ground. When he looked around, however, he realized that Lis had taken the chance given and booked it.

"Well, guess it's for the best," Masaya said emotionlessly, though he couldn't control the tinge of disappointment in him.

Considering the current state of Tsurugigaoka's crime rate and mob situations, Masaya decided to move the women he had just fought to a nearby alley, leaning then against the wall of the restaurant to the right. He stood at the entrance of the alley, waiting for them to awaken, a wait that thankfully was short.

The one he remembered throwing by her arm against her partner was the first to stir, groaning as she opened her eyes. Looking around, the first thing she noted was her unconscious teammates, then the young man who had fought and beaten them leaning against the wall at the mouth of the alley, watching them. She attempted to jump to her feet and confront him, but her sore body screamed in protest, making her wince and stumble.

"I wouldn't suggest that," Masaya spoke up. "You should take it easy for the next day or so, and probably take a hot bath to help relax your muscles."

"And why would you care?!" the woman snapped at him.

To her surprise, the young man didn't respond in kind. He simply looked away and shrugged. "It's just a suggestion. Take it how you will. Could you wake up your comrades? I do need to get going."

As she moved to the commander of the group, the woman gave Masaya a shrewd look. She couldn't get a read on his thought process. First, he suddenly intervenes in their mission, then he moved them to an alley, where one would typically think he'd kill, rape, or do some other unspeakable action to them. But no, he simply waits until they wake up, and the first thing he tells them is advice for sore muscles? Just what was he playing at?

Maybe she was reading too many novellas and horror stories.

The commander woke up after just a few shakes, though the first move she made was putting a hand to her head as a stab of pain shot through it.

"Take deep breaths," Masaya once again spoke up with advice. "Try to get as much oxygen as you can inside you quickly, but exhale slowly.

The groggy woman gave him a very similar look to the one her underling had given him, but it was sound advice. So as her comrade moved on to wake the rest of the group, she relaxed and breathed as deeply as she could, recreating similar meditation techniques she had used before. Faintly, she could hear the other three women awakening as well, with the stoic young man giving each of them advice based on what he had done to them during their one-sided match.

Once all the women were awake, there was an awkward silence as both sides tried to think up what to say. Masaya was awaiting their predictable questions, while the group of women were wondering what to ask first.

"Why did you stick around?" a brown-haired woman near the back blurted out, drawing all attention to her. "I mean, one would normally think that you'd leave at first notice, not wait until we had awoken."

The rest of the women turned back to Masaya, the same question burning in their minds. His answer surprised them.

"If there's one thing I'm familiar with about this place, it's the crime rate and gang activity," the young man explained monotonously. "If I had left you there, sprawled on the ground, I assure you you'd probably have much more pressing problems than sore muscles."

The group cringed simultaneously, understanding his point.

"Regardless, the reason I intervened in your mission ran off, so I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Do you know Rise?" the leader asked.

"Ah, so that's her name. I know her, in a sense. I doubt she remembers me, though." Masaya turned and began to walk away, having nothing more to say to them and surprising them once again with his abruptness. "Take care, ladies. I'll be going."

…

Roughly an hour later, Masaya was back at his apartment, located in the south area of the city. It was an inconspicuous place, which suited him just fine.

As he walked around his small kitchen and fixed himself a drink, his phone rang from his bedroom. Having left his long coat there, with the phone inside the pocket, Masaya left the bottle on the counter and walked over, pulling it out of the jacket's pocket and flipping it open.

He already knew who it was.

"Okonogi Masaya."

 _"_ _Masaya, you have a new assignment,"_ a soft, female voice spoke from the other end. _"Long term."_

"Parameters?"

 _"_ _Recently, the head family of Kamiyagi Industries has become a target, and they have hired us for assistance. Your charge will be the head's daughter, Kamiyagi Ruriko, who is about to attend her second year of Final Course at Vincennes Private Girls Academy. You are going to be her bodyguard under the guise of a transfer student meant to test if the school can become co-educational."_

"Understood. Send me a copy of all the files we have of the girl, her potential threats, and Vincennes itself. I assume you're going to be taking care of talking with the headmaster or headmistress about the situation?"

 _"_ _Kamiyagi-sama had already taken care of that, and as request from the headmistress, he has asked for an extra addition: for you to work alongside the Gardiane, their security, and neutralize any other potential threats to the school itself and its students. Most of Ruriko's classmates are targets as well, though probably not to her caliber."_

"Got it. Masaya out."

…

…

…


	2. Chapter 2

**To Bt200: Thanks, and I'm happy to see someone else who enjoys Princess Evangile so much. The story before he gets thrust into Vincennes is so open that I couldn't help but think of a ton of crossovers for it.**

* * *

Two days later, the Gardiane officers on duty for midday were surprised when the headmistress and chairwoman of the school appeared at the gates without prior warning and simply stood there, as if waiting for something.

"Excuse me, Madame Headmistress, Madame Chairwoman," the head Gardiane officer spoke up uncertainly. "Is something the matter?"

The headmistress didn't answer, and now that she took a good look at her, the head Gardiane officer could see that her jaw was clenched and her fingernails were digging into her arms, which she had crossed. The chairwoman was the one to turn to her and answer.

"We're waiting for a guest."

That was all she said, and the confused look on the Gardiane's faces lasted only for a few more moments before a sound cut through the air, bringing all attention to the hill road that led to Vincennes.

It sounded like a powerful motor, and one that was approaching fast. A dark figure became visible soon after.

As the figure gained definition, one of the Gardiane suddenly gasped and, shortly after, squealed in glee, bringing confused stares her way. "Oh my God, that's a Yamaha Vmax 1200!" she gushed, then promptly blushed in embarrassment when she realized what she had done. "My apologies… I'm a bit of a motorcycle fanatic."

By the time that short conversation was over, the figure had already reached them, stopping just in front of the gate with the sound of squealing tires. As the motor of the bike shut off, the person reached up and took off the helmet he was wearing in a sweeping motion, making some of the Gardiane on duty go wide eyed.

Because this person was the same young man that they had fought just two nights ago.

The young man shook his head, getting his somewhat messy locks of hair back in order, then got off the bike, put down the side-stand, and hung his helmet from the handlebar.

The young man was dressed in the same black suit and tie he wore last time, and the long coat that they had seen on him was now merely hanging on his shoulders. And just as that night, his eyes were still dull and entirely void of emotion.

"So you are the bodyguard hired by Kamiyagi-sama?" the headmistress spoke up, finally, addressing the young man.

His eyes moved over to meet hers, and the headmistress was shocked at the utter dullness in that sight. "Yes, I am," he responded, his voice just as dead as his sight. "My name is Okonogi Masaya."

"Very well. Salutations, Okonogi Masaya. Come with us, we need to get your paperwork done," the headmistress spoke, turning around and heading inside without a backwards glance.

Masaya's only reaction to her bluntness and slight hostility was a raised eyebrow. His sight shifted over to the chairwoman, who had yet to say anything. "I believe you are the chairwoman of Vincennes, correct?"

"Yes, I am, Masaya-kun."

"The headmistress doesn't seem to be very happy about this plan. Is there a reason for such?"

Looking at the headmistress' back as they followed her, the chairwoman could only sigh. "I suppose it's her nature at his point. She is not very fond of changing Vincennes rules, which of course include there being a male student here."

"I see," was all that Masaya responded with.

* * *

Some minutes later, the paperwork to place Masaya in the system of Vincennes was complete. At the moment, however, there was cold feeling in the air as the headmistress glared at Masaya, who stared back emotionlessly. The chairwoman could only look between them, wondering who would crack first.

"Let us get one thing straight, Masaya-kun," Misako spoke up in a frosty tone. "You are here primarily as a bodyguard for Ruriko. Being a student here is nothing more than a cover story. You will be attending classes as per your disguise, but you are not to get overtly friendly with the rest of the students in this school. I highly doubt they would give you the time of day regardless, but this is the only warning I am giving you. If I hear that you have done something untoward towards my charges, you shall be kicked out immediately."

Masaya remained silent for a few moments, staring back at the glaring headmistress, then sighed and shook his head. "I think you entirely misunderstand your part in this, Misako-san."

"That's Madame Headmistress to you-."

"Shut up and let me finish," Masaya cut her off, making her splutter in outrage. "No matter what you may think of yourself, Misako-san, you are _not_ my superior. You are not the one who hired me, and you have no command over me. If I wanted to, I could ignore the order I was given to protect the rest of the students from any threats, as my primary objective is Ruriko-san. However, I will not do that. Those girls are innocent of any crime that I am aware of, so to let them die or suffer at the hands of the scum that inhabit Japan would be something I can't stand for. But, and I repeat, _you do not have any say over my actions_. I know exactly what I must do, so if your try once again to exert control over me, you can happily kiss this contract goodbye."

As the headmistress glared at him, outraged at his disobedience, the chairwoman stared at Masaya with a critical gaze. "Do you typically threaten people, Masaya-kun? I could not help but notice that was quite easy for you to say."

"Let's just say that this isn't the first time I've dealt with someone like Misako-san. The difference here is that I typically put a bullet in between those people's eyes." Both woman jerked back at that information, making Masaya sigh. "If you weren't aware of the fact, no, my hands aren't clean. I have tortured, maimed, and killed under orders. And that is exactly what I am going to do to make sure that those girls out there remain safe. Now, I'll be going. I need to talk to your Gardiane and give them the same warning so that they're not surprised about it. Excuse me."

With that, Masaya turned and walked out, his jacket flourishing in the slight wind. As the door closed behind him, the women inside could hardly think of what to say.

That is, until the anger in Misako's head reached a boiling point.

"Why, that ungrateful, little brat! How dare he speak to me in such a tone?!" Misako raged.

"I doubt it was difficult, Misako," the chairwoman sighed, leaning back on her seat. "It seems that he is quite sure of himself. And he was correct, as much as you wish to deny it. He is being paid to do us a favor in keeping the girls of this school safe, so you do not have the right to demand anything from him."

Misako deflated in her seat, looking back at the computer. "That reminds me, the girls are supposed to start arriving today, correct?"

"Yes, the ones that went back home for vacation should be arriving soon. I believe Ruriko herself will be arriving today, so you may want to call the Gardiane and tell the commander to tell him to wait for her."

Grudgingly, she did just that.

* * *

As Masaya walked through the campus, he came to notice that there were already a few students around, likely ones that hadn't gone home for the short vacation allowed to them. He steadfastly ignored them, but the same couldn't be said about them. He could hear the whispers they had between themselves about him, which weren't good, but he cared little about what they thought. They weren't part of his objective yet.

Arriving at the Gardiane station, he was greeted by the same commander that he had fought two days ago, who looked at him warily.

"I assume you've been briefed on the situation?" Masaya spoke as he stopped in front of her.

"Yes, I was told," the officer responded. "I was also told to inform you that your main charge, Ruriko, will likely be arriving soon, so if you wish, you can wait for her here."

"That sounds fine. There's something I need to talk to you about, though. All of you."

The commander raised an eyebrow, but noticing the seriousness that exuded from the young man, she called the rest of the Gardiane on duty via her radio and waited with him until the arrived.

They came in small groups, each one being set to patrol a specific area of the school. While the administration had increased security somewhat before they had realized they'd need more help than they had, the changes in their schedules had still been maintained with the image of the school in mind, which secretly frustrated most of them.

Once the Gardiane on duty were all arranged around him, Masaya cleared his throat and spoke up. "Listen up. I want to warn you all right now about how I work so that I may receive no complaints later. As you can probably guess, I'm a mercenary working for a private security and military company. My assignment here is due to Kamiyagi Ruriko's father asking to have a bodyguard for his daughter, but my duties also extend somewhat to the rest of the girls in the school. The one thing I want to stress to you all is this: my methods are subtle… but they're lethal." The Gardiane women around him jerked in surprise. "I know perfectly well what manner of people are after Ruriko and the rest of the girls here, and they're not nice. They've tried capturing them before, and some have succeeded. But now, they've been hired to kill. And so, I will respond in kind." Masaya turned and pointed towards the top of one of the buildings, the bell tower at the very center of the campus. "Each night, I will be set up on the top of that building. I brought with me my sniper rifle, and as such, I will be scouting the grounds for potential threats… and eliminating them."

The Gardiane officers had no idea what to say. To be told that someone was going to kill others so casually was not something they were prepared to hear today.

"And I tell you this not only because I want you to not be surprised, but because I want you to work with me on this," Masaya continued, turning back to them. "During your patrols, if you see anything suspicions, call me or contact me in some way, and let me handle it. I'd rather none of you get hurt trying to combat something I'm sure you aren't prepared for. If you want to get directly involved, that's your prerogative, but I'd suggest otherwise."

The officers looked between themselves, unsure of what to say. Having said his piece, Masaya turned and walked away, headed to the front gates. Halfway there, though, he stopped and turned back, noticing that at least half of the Gardiane had already moved on. "Also, could you point me towards your parking lot? I'd like to leave my motorcycle there."

After receiving directions to where it was, Masaya continued on his way, reaching his parked bike. He moved it to the side of the gate and leaned against it, pulling out a book from the bag on the back of the bike and opening it up to the page he had last been on.

* * *

It took an hour for his charge to arrive.

During that time, several other girls had already arrived to the school. Not many caught his attention, and amongst those, only two particularly interested him.

The first was a blue-haired girl that, upon noticing him, had given him a rather suggestive look instead of the dubious and scornful ones he had received before. He wasn't sure why she had been different from the rest in terms of response to his presence, but he decided to simply ignore it.

The second had been a brown-haired, twin-tailed girl that had arrived not too much later. She had hardly given him a second look, but in that short time, a memory surfaced in his mind, and he had to stop himself from calling out to her. He couldn't be sure that she was who he thought it was, but if it was, then this city truly was smaller than he thought.

Finally, he spotted a black limousine approach and stop in front of the school, from which came out Kamiyagi Ruriko. The blonde girl bowed appreciatively to her driver and insisted that she would be fine the rest of the walk inside, then watched as he departed. When she turned and began to walk towards the gate, Masaya closed his book with a _snap_ and turned to her.

"Kamiyagi Ruriko-san?" he called her name, making her stop in her tracks.

"Yes?" the girl responded, turning to him. He could see her eyes narrow slightly and her pose became somewhat defensive, which he wasn't surprised about. She probably saw him as a threat.

"My name is Okonogi Masaya," the young man continued, approaching her. "I was hired by your father to be your bodyguard for this year."

"Oh! Yes, my father spoke to me about you," Ruriko said, her eyes lighting up in understanding. A moment later, after looking him over, Ruriko's eyes narrowed slightly again. "But… you look to be my age. Should you not be in school, like me?"

"About that… if you would accompany me to the parking lot so that I may park my motorcycle, I can explain it on the way," Masaya responded, pulling up the side stand of the bike. Ruriko nodded, walking alongside him as they headed for the parking lot. "The thing is, Ruriko-san, I'm not attending any school. Since Primary Course, I haven't been able to or needed to."

"Why is that?"

"Circumstances prevented me from doing so," Masaya responded stoically. "And now that I'm hired under a private company, I have no need to attend a school. Do keep in mind, however, that going to school is exactly the cover story I am going with, as I cannot simply declare that I am going to stay with you as a bodyguard here. I'm undercover. So instead, if anyone asks, I'm a temporary male transfer student that is here to test whether the school can become co-educational."

"Is that so? I believe Rise-san will be pleased by that," Ruriko commented as Masaya put the motorcycle on a parking spot.

That comment made Masaya stop just as he was about to put down the side stand of the motorbike. "I'm sorry, did you say Rise-san?"

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"I know her, in a way, but I don't think she remembers me," Masaya muttered. "I should've guessed she went here." Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, he turned to Ruriko and put out his hand. "Regardless, Ruriko-san, I am to be your guard for the next year. Let us try and get along, shall we?"

Ruriko nodded and grabbed his hand, shaking it lightly. "I agree." As their hands disconnected, Ruriko raised hers and looked at it curiously.

"What is it?" Masaya asked.

"This… is the first time I've touched a man…"

Masaya raised an eyebrow. "Have you never been touched or carried by your father?"

"Well, a man not part of my family, at least," Ruriko specified. "And… father has always been a busy man, so the times he and I have together are few and far."

"I see… Well, Ruriko-san, I believe we should get going. I still have to unpack my belongings."

"Will you be staying at the dormitory?"

"Yes. I believe I was given the room next to yours for convenience's sake."

* * *

As they walked together to the dormitory, the pair received a fair share of odd looks. The looks Masaya received had become dampened somewhat, likely due to Ruriko's presence, but that just gave way to more confusion from them.

"Ah, Ruriko-san!" a voice spoke up from behind them suddenly. Turning together, the pair watched as a girl approached them at a jogging stride.

Masaya was inwardly surprised that this girl was the same twin-tailed girl he'd seen while he was outside.

The girl's stride stopped when she realized her friend had company.

"Oh… uh…" The girl stopped in front of them both, not sure of what to say about Masaya's presence. In the end, all she could say was, "I'm sorry, but who are you? I thought guys weren't allowed in here."

Masaya raised an eyebrow. "I hear that it's impolite to ask someone's name without introducing yourself first."

"Oh! Uh… I'm Sagisawa Chiho," the now-named girl stated, bowing slightly.

Masaya's eyes widened slightly as his suspicions were confirmed. This girl was indeed the one he had thought of.

Schooling his facial expression, he reached out his hand, offering a handshake that Chiho accepted. "A pleasure to meet you, Chiho-san. I am Okonogi Masaya."

As they shook hands, Masaya saw Chiho's facial expression change to minimal shock, leading him to believe two things: one, this girl was oddly adept at keeping her expressions hidden; and two, she most definitely knew who he was. Perhaps she remembered him after all.

"M-Masaya, you say? But…"

Masaya raised a hand, stopping her short. "Whatever you wish to say about me or my name can wait until we're behind closed doors, can it not? Besides, I believe you've ignored your friend long enough."

That made her yelp in embarrassment and turn to Ruriko, who was watching their conversation with a look of curiosity. "Ah, sorry, Ruriko-san! I completely forgot you were there!"

"That seems odd. Do you two know each other?" Ruriko asked, tilting her head to the side.

Chiho looked back at Masaya, who merely stared back, then turned back to Ruriko and chuckled awkwardly. "Erm, I guess so… I'll explain later."

Following after them as they began to catch up on their vacations, Masaya could only ponder the amount of oddities that had already happened to him in his first day here.

* * *

When they arrived at Ruriko's room, she insisted that both of them stay for a while to chat. Neither could really turn down the offer; Chiho because she hadn't seen Ruriko in a while, and Masaya because he was going to live right next door anyways.

Hearing Ruriko hum as she made tea in the kitchenette of the room, Masaya and Chiho said nothing to each other, staring at the other as if they hadn't seen them in a long time.

Because that was exactly the case.

"Are you really… Okonogi Masaya?" Chiho was the one to break the ice, giving Masaya a narrowed-eye glare.

"The only one I know of, yes."

"But how can that be? The Masaya I knew, who lived and played with me around the neighborhood as kids… he was happy and full of life. I knew that he had a tough life because of his parents, his dad specifically, but-!"

Masaya raised a hand, once again cutting her off with the gesture. "It's simpler than you think, Chiho-san. The Okonogi Masaya you knew is no more."

"W-What do you mean?" Chiho asked, a cold feeling in her gut.

"I didn't just disappear for no reason back then, Chiho-san. Like I said to Ruriko-san, there were circumstances, which I don't want to talk about. But because of those circumstances… I changed. Irreparably. I remember next to nothing of my old life."

Chiho knelt stock-still across from him, unsure of what to say. Now that she had a good look at him, she could admit that he resembled the boy that had been her friend as a child, whom she wished she had helped. She had a rough idea of his family problems, even as a child, and she wanted to help him, but her stupid, childish pride prevented her from asking right away, and she had no idea how to make it seem like it wasn't charity.

And before she had the chance, one day… he just disappeared.

She had asked her parents if they knew where he had gone, as she had gone to check their apartment and found it bare, but they couldn't tell her either.

He had just vanished, without a trace.

And then, suddenly, she finds him again, here in an all-girls school of all places, and he looks entirely different from before. As a child, he wore casual clothing that was a little worn out. Now, he wore a full suit that fit him remarkably well, and seemed to be made with great materials. As a child, he was energetic, happy, and friendly. Now, he was cold, distant, and very formal.

It was almost impossible for her to connect this young man to the same boy she had liked in her childhood.

Suddenly, a cup was placed in front of her, courtesy of Ruriko coming back with the tea. She placed another in front of Masaya, who thanked her, then went back and retrieved one for herself.

Once she sat down, she asked, "So, how do you two know each other?"

As Chiho was still a little shell shocked, Masaya decided to answer, his tone still as stoic as ever. "Chiho-san and I lived in the same neighborhood as kids, and attended the same school. After I had to leave due to my circumstances, we never saw each other again until now."

"Masaya-san, you keep mentioning these 'circumstances'," Ruriko said, giving him a look of curiosity. "What are they?"

Masaya looked down at his cup of tea, where his reflection stared back at him. Ruriko and Chiho could, just barely, see his eyes contract for a moment, as if he were in pain, before they returned to their stoic, empty look, leaving them to wonder if they had imagined it. "I'm sorry, but… I'm not comfortable talking about that, especially to two people I just met."

"What do you mean, just met? You knew me before," Chiho said.

"For a short time," Masaya responded, taking a sip of his tea. "Nowhere near enough for me to tell you that."

Ruriko and Chiho continued to stare at him, which irked him a little. However, he refused to budge.

"Fine, we can leave that topic be for now," Ruriko decided, sipping her tea. "But I do want to ask you one very important question, Masaya-san."

"What is it?"

"My father hired you to be my bodyguard, and by extension, a guard for the school itself. Can you explain to me just who is it that is after me?"

Masaya looked down, pondering how to answer, as Chiho looked between them, not being aware of that little gem. After a few moments to collect his answer, he said, "Well, two types of people, really. On one side, you have competitors to your industry. Unfortunately, it seems they have grown tired of trying to grow larger than you and simply want your father's company to crumble to the ground, even if it happens by killing him or you, his heir. On the other side, you have several mafia groups. Your father has prided himself in being a man that is unshakeable, and while sometimes, he isn't the best judge of character, he is a man that is steadfast in his work, leading him to easily turn down bribery and any other influencing venues." Masaya looked out through the glass door of the room that led towards the veranda. "Tsurugigaoka, as peaceful as it may seem, is filled with gang activity and crime. And these groups want someone in power that answers to them in order to have more power." He turned back to the girls, who were now staring at him with wide eyes. "Funnily enough, some of your competitors are in their pockets. So, to that end, sometimes they work together to try and bring your father's company down, in order to install someone on the highest seat that they can control. It's sickening, but they have no sense of morality. They only care about their wealth and power." Both girls noticed that Masaya's fist clenched slightly as he continued. "They're ruthless, willing to go to any end and sacrifice anyone in order to be on the top of the food chain. _Those_ are the kind of people I fight against, Ruriko-san. Those monsters are what I'm protecting you from."

The girls remained silent, unable to muster up anything to say to his words. After a few moments, however, there was a different interruption as what sounded like a drawn out 'kuu' came from Ruriko's bed.

"Oh, Panterbell's awoken," Ruriko seemed to snap out of her funk quickly at that, as she stood and skipped over to her bed, where her pet, a white stoat with a top hat and red bow named Panterbell, was laying. "Good afternoon, Panterbell. Did you have a good nap?"

"Kuu," the little guy said, as if replying to her, as Masaya and Chiho watched the exchange.

"Did the bellman treat you well?"

"Kuu, kuu!"

"Oh, good!"

Masaya turned back to his tea and finished it, catching the look of fondness on Chiho's face as she watched the exchange. He stood, grabbing their attention, and said, "I'm going to head back to my room and unpack. Ruriko-san, we'll talk more in the morning. I need to do some rounds this evening to set up a perimeter, so I doubt we'll see much of each other."

Ruriko nodded in understanding.

"Chiho-san, I suppose I'll see you in class."

"Y-Yeah. See you."

"Kuu!"

"Yes, I'll see you later too, Panterbell," Masaya responded, still just as stoically as always.

* * *

That evening, Masaya traversed the entire school alongside one of the Gardiane, memorizing the paths that led all around it and looking for entrances and weak spots in each of the buildings. He had already decided to use the bell tower a few meters in front of the cathedral as his sniping point, as it was the highest building around and allowed him a perfect view all around the area. The dormitories were to the west of the gate, while the recreational areas like the gym, field, and courts were to the east. The tower was surrounded by the classroom buildings, which made a rough square around it. And farther northwest of the gates was Maria Hall, considered the student government building.

After checking out the buildings and making sure they were sound, he received access to the cameras from the Gardiane and decided to use them to his advantage. An hour or so later, as he was returning to the Gardiane post near the gate, he pulled out several small cameras and placed them in key points around the three paths into the school, as well as on the trees in the surrounding area.

"What are those?" the Gardiane officer accompanying him asked.

"My own, personal security cameras. They connect directly to my laptop and phone so that I can keep an eye out, and have night, infrared, and thermal lenses for dark or foggy nights. I'll need these to be able to see any threats coming in this way."

"I see. You are certainly well prepared, Masaya-san."

"I try to be. It's what's kept me alive all this time."

Once the preparations were done, Masaya headed back to his room, bidding goodnight to Ruriko on the way into it. As he took off his coat, he booted up his personal laptop and finished activating the security cameras, making sure everything was working properly. After finalizing the preparations for tonight, he picked up a long bag he had placed under his bed and headed out, walking to the bell tower.

* * *

As Masaya's approached the bell tower, he had to contain a sigh of annoyance at the amount of looks he was receiving from the students. Most of the students had arrived already, so the amount hanging around outside had pretty much tripled in size.

The sun was about to set, so it likely wouldn't last long.

He entered the tower and walked up the stairs to the top. Opening the doors, he was first greeted with a blast of cool air to the face, then the view of the entire front area of the school. Ignoring that, he looked around and was a little surprised there was no guardrail or any kind of barrier around the edges of the tower. This, however, gave him an advantage, as he could shoot lying down without worrying about any blocks in his vision or movement. He reached into his bag and pulled out a somewhat thick briefcase, opening it and pulling out three separate pieces of his weapon of choice, a VSS Vintorez. A special type of sniper rifle, it used suppressed, armour piercing rounds, though if the need arose, he could detach the suppressive muzzle, change the fire mode to fully automatic, and use special AS rifle ammunition.

It was also easy to take apart and put together, making it ideal for his modus operandi.

Laying down on his stomach, he booted up his laptop and rechecked the camera feed system he'd gotten from the Gardiane. Next, he pulled out his phone and opened the application that showed him the feed of his own cameras. And finally, after scanning all around the area he had available, he contacted the Gardiane via the earpiece he had been given by the commander and explained to her the places that were out of his range our vision, such as the Intermediary Course dorm, advising her to focus her troops to those areas. The dormitories were lined one in front of the other, which meant that while he could see the Final Course dorm just fine, the Intermediary Course dorm was blocked by it. This also included the cathedral, which was behind him, and some of the softball field west of his position.

And then, he waited.

...

...

...


	3. Chapter 3

Several hours later, Masaya stood from his position, stretching in order to get the blood flowing back to his limbs and to rid himself of the soreness in them. Pressing a finger to the device in his ear, he said, "Chika-san, I'm heading back to my room. Nothing to report."

"Understood, Masaya-san," Chika, the Gardiane commander on duty, responded.

"Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call me right away. Don't worry about waking me."

"Understood."

Closing the connection, Masaya got to disassembling his rifle and putting it back in it's case. Once everything was in place, he closed its specialized briefcase, briefly remembering the pain in the ass bringing it into Japan has been, and placed it into his bag. He turned off his laptop and placed it in the bag as well. With everything ready, he headed downstairs and back to his dorm room to catch some sleep before classes.

* * *

The next day, Masaya was awoken by the sound of his phone's alarm. Blearily sitting up and turning it off, he smacked his lips a little before standing up and stretching. After getting feeling back into his limbs, he picked up his towel and headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later, he exited the streaming bathroom with a towel around his hips, tussling his wet hair. He set out the uniform he'd wear for today, and was about to get changed when he heard a knock on his door.

"Masaya-san, are you awake?" Ruriko's soft voice filtered through the door.

"Yes, Ruriko-san, I am," Masaya responded. "Give me a few minutes to finish getting dressed."

Ruriko called out an affirmation as Masaya got changed into black slacks and a plain white t-shirt, the latter of which went under a long-sleeve white button-up shirt with a black tie. After putting on his shoes and wrapping his black long-coat over his shoulders, he headed out, being greeted by Ruriko's serene smile.

"Salutations, Masaya-san," Ruriko greeted him.

"Good morning," the brunet replied.

"Shall we he'd to the cafeteria for breakfast?"

"That sounds fine."

Together, the pair set off to the cafeteria. On the way, Ruriko kept stealing glances at her bodyguard, who was content with maintaining the silence between them. The mystery of Okonogi Masaya was one that had piqued her interest. He was a completely closed person, keeping himself distant from even the girl that had known him in his childhood. He mentioned 'circumstances' that had separated them (and him from everyone in general, it seemed), but he refused to talk about them. From his actions, mannerisms, and overall personality, however, she doubted they were good circumstances.

She could never be presumptuous enough to demand he tell her (and, if she were honest, he'd likely refuse anyways), but she couldn't deny that the curiosity was burning in her mind.

The entire way there was spent in this manner, which drew the attention of the girls that were already awake and milling about. They were stupefied at the fact that there waa a male in the school to begin with, but for him to be at Bijou Bleu's side without a care in the world? It was almost inconceivable!

Masaya, for his part, expertly ignored the looks sent his way. If there was anything that he was far too used to by now, it was those. If it wasn't his age, it was his methods that were questioned.

Typically, a teenager being able to put a bullet in someone's head and show no emotion about it was worrying.

Most people that had met him, if they had some amount of the pesky feeling they called humanity, would object at him being a mercenary. But the people who had hired him had seen potential instead. They had seen someone whose youth and skill would ensure he would last a while under their employ. Someone that could follow orders through to the end when given.

And that's exactly what he did.

As they arrived at the cafeteria a few minutes later, both students heard the speaker system come to life, asking all students to be at the gymnasium at nine o'clock sharp, an hour and a half's time from now.

"Why do you think the headmistress would need us at the gym?" Ruriko asked Masaya as they got their breakfast.

"My introducing to the student body," Masaya responded. "A proper one, at least. I think half the students have seen me."

"How do you know?"

"The chairwoman told me."

Ruriko made an 'ah' sound as they sat down. Their breakfast was a simple bacon-and-eggs-with-toast ordeal, as Masaya wasn't particularly picky and Ruriko liked the taste and simplicity of it.

Just as they were finishing up, with forty minutes left before they had to get to the gym, there was a quick movement by them, setting Masaya on edge due to habit. When he realized it was another student, though, he relaxed somewhat.

"Salutations!" the burgundy-haired student greeted them energetically, as if the fact that it was already eight in the morning was nothing to her. "I see we have a new face, and a male one to boot!"

"Oh, Tamie-san," Ruriko spoke with her usual smile. "Salutations."

Masaya merely gave her a nod in greeting.

"A man of few words, eh? I can dig that," Tamie said with a wink. "The name's Nogi Tamie, known by the title Sombre Scanner." She sat at their table and pulled a notepad and pen from her hat with a flourish. "So, hot stuff, how are you here in Vincennes without the Gardiane jumping on you and throwing you out?"

"The name's Okonogi Masaya, and you'll find out later."

"Oh? Is that why we were called to the gym?"

Masaya nodded.

"Well, putting that aside, how are you so chummy with Ruriko-san here?" Tamie continued with her questioning. "Not many people are happy about that."

Masaya shrugged. "Whatever they feel about me is none of my concern. Ruriko-san here and I were already acquainted shortly before I arrived, and she graciously offered to show me around. Additionally, we're in the same class."

"Oho, Ruriko-san, aren't you nice," Tamie said to the girl, who looked a tad flustered but understood Masaya's lie well enough to continue it.

"Oh, it was no trouble. He was very gentlemanly."

" _Gentlemanly_ , huh? You already have glowing reviews, Masaya-san," Tamie teased.

Glancing at his watch, Masaya ignored her entirely and stood, startling the girls. "I think it's time we get going. The meeting will start in half an hour."

"Dang, did time fly that quickly?" Tamie asked sadly. "I wanted to ask you a few more questions!"

"I'm sure it can wait until later or tomorrow," Ruriko chided her lightly. "Masaya-san is correct; we should be on our way."

"Awww, fine," Tamie groaned, standing up alongside her.

As they were walking out of the cafeteria, they meet up with Chiho, who greeted them. "Hello Ruriko-san, Tamie-san, Masaya."

The three responded with varying degrees of interest (Masaya's being the lowest, predictably), and like a predator, Tamie latched onto one little fact.

"Oho, did you say 'Masaya'? Masaya-san, you never mentioned you were friendly with Chiho-san as well, or that you two were so close!"

While Chiho 'eep'ed in embarrassment, Masaya merely sighed. "Chiho-san and I knew each other long ago. I left Tsurugigaoka and didn't return until now, and I wasn't expecting to see her here in Vincennes of all places. I didn't mention it because you didn't ask."

As Tamie pouted at his answer, Chiho sighed. Together, the foursome continued the trip to the gym, with the girls hanging back and taking between themselves (which mainly consisted of Tamie grilling both Ruriko and Chiho about details on him). Tuning them out, Masaya was aware that, amongst the multitude of stares he was receiving, one felt particularly... focused.

Looking around surreptitiously, he spotted a few girls looking directly at him. And of those, there was only one he knew.

Lis Branche.

The pink-haired girl was staring at him inquisitively, likely wondering what he was doing here (like everyone else). Since that question would be answered soon, and as he now knew she went here, Masaya didn't bother calling out to her. He simply continued on his way, his companions still gossiping behind him.

As they approached the gymnasium, Masaya noted that the chairwoman was standing by the doors, greeting the students that were arriving. When she spotted them, she smiled as well, an action that slightly surprised Masaya. Rarely had he seen someone smile at him after knowing what he did unless they had ulterior motives, but he felt none of those feelings right now.

"Ah, Masaya-kun," she greeted him. "I see you have already made acquaintances."

"Indeed. Good morning, Madame Chairwoman."

"Salutations," the three girls greeted simultaneously.

After returning their salute, the chairwoman gazed at Masaya critically and asked, "Do they know?"

The girls were a little bewildered by the vague question, but Masaya only sighed. "Ruriko-san is aware, of course. It directly involves her. Chiho-san knows the basics."

"I see. Very well then. Ladies, head inside. Masaya-kun, come with me."

The foursome obeyed dutifully. The chairwoman led Masaya to a side room, connected to the actual gym by a pair of double doors.

"I will step out in a few minutes to explain to the girls the cover story we are going with. Is there anything you would like to add?" the chairwoman asked Masaya.

"Yes, actually," Masaya responded. "Many of the students have already seen Ruriko-san and I together, despite that this is my first day here. I would suggest finding a way to add her to the story."

The chairwoman was pensive for a few moments. After getting her thoughts in order, she responded, "Well, as much a cover story as it is, there is actually a small movement to make Vincennes co-educational. I am not sure if you've heard of it."

"No, I haven't. I can see where you are going with this, though. If we're to include Ruriko-san into it, however, we should ask first."

The chairwoman nodded and left, returning a moment later with the slightly confused girl in tow. "Ruriko," the chairwoman asked, "How do you feel about gender integration at Vincennes?"

The sudden broaching of the topic caught Ruriko off guard, but after thinking it over, she smiled. "I have never really thought about it, but after meeting Masaya-san, I could definitely support it."

Masaya raised an eyebrow. "But you've only known me for two days."

Ruriko merely shrugged.

"So if we were to alter Masaya-kun's story to include, say, you finding him and suggesting him to us for the idea of integration," the chairwoman asked, "you would not mind?"

"Oh, no, not at all. If it helps Masaya-san and the school, I support it wholeheartedly."

"I see," the chairwoman smiled. "Then please, remain here with us."

"Madame Chairwoman, one more thing," Masaya spoke up. "Who is the actual leader of the gender integration movement?"

"That would be my granddaughter, Rise."

Pushing down his now natural reaction at the name, Masaya continued. "Then I believe we should tell her as well. If the students begin questioning her about me and she can't answer, it would punch holes in my cover very quickly."

The chairwoman nodded in understanding and went back outside to fetch her granddaughter.

"Masaya-san," Ruriko spoke up, remembering something, "you told me that you were familiar with Rise-san, no?"

"Yes, but do not mention that," Masaya warned her. "I'll explain the circumstances to you later at your room or mine, alright? If she recognizes me, it'll likely be unnecessary, but if she doesn't, then it would be best to wait a bit."

"But why?"

Masaya was prevented from answering her confused query by the return of the chairwoman, with a pink-haired girl (who was much more confused than Ruriko had been) in tow.

"Grandmother, why did you bring me here?" Rise asked, glancing between Masaya and Ruriko somewhat warily.

"Ah, I believe Masaya-kun here should explain," the chairwoman responded, waving at the young man.

As Masaya and Rise locked eyes, Rise felt as though her soul itself had been dunked in ice. She had recognized him as the same young man they had allowed her to escape the clutches of the Gardiane two nights ago, as she had felt like such a coward for running that she had returned to the area and kept watch from afar, cell phone in hand and ready to call emergency services in case she came to a worst case scenario. She had been pleasantly surprised when she saw him merely move the Gardiane to an alley and keep watch until they woke up, and while she had been unable to hear what they had talked about, she was smart enough to not show herself, lest she end up being captured by the Gardiane again. But after a few moments, he had left abruptly, and by the time she had the chance to follow him, he was gone, as if he had melted into the shadows (and due to his dark clothing, she briefly wondered if that had actually been the case).

But suddenly, two days later, she finds him again, this time in Vincennes itself, wearing what could pass for a school uniform, and to top it off, he was surrounded by three of the most famous (and infamous) students in the school. The fact that Ruriko kept stealing glances at him during their walk was not lost on her, and neither was the fact that Tamie had been grilling both Ruriko and Chiho for answers, likely about him.

They had yet to speak properly, and already, his presence was confusing her to no end.

"I can see you have a lot of questions," Masaya spoke up, breaking Rise's train of thought. "I hope my short explanation will be enough to sate your curiosity for now." With a sigh, he stuck out his right hand. "I believe proper introductions are necessary, though. Hello, Rise-san, I am Okonogi Masaya."

"Salutations, Masaya-san. My full name is Rousenin Rise," the girl responded in kind, grasping and shaking his hand. She noted that he had a firm, yet not overtly powerful handshake.

"Any trivia I should know about you? Likes, dislikes, hobbies?"

"Well, my only hobby that I can think of is drinking tea in calm, outdoor areas. It helps me relax immensely. And you?"

To her surprise, the young man actually had an emotional reaction, though it was only an amused twitch of his mouth. It was gone as quickly as it came. "I'm similar, but instead of tea, I prefer to read." Rise nodded, and their hands separated. Masaya's expression, if possible, became more serious. "Very well. Listen up, Rise-san. I may have an uniform on, but the truth is, I am not a student. My actual role into this school is as an undercover mercenary." Rise's eyes widened. "Ruriko-san's father hired me through the private company I work for as a bodyguard for her, and for the school by proxy, as the criminal activity against his family and company has reached a breaking point. To prevent the people after him and his family from being immediately tipped off about my presence, I am using the cover story of being a temporary transfer student meant to test if the school can become co-educational. I was informed by your grandmother that you are the leader of the actual gender integration movement here, so I thought it best to inform you of this so that you are able to answer any questions later on."

Rise's face had been incredulous throughout the explanation, but after he stopped, a smile split her face. "So this means I still have a chance to succeed?"

"I cannot say. In the end, it's still just a cover story," Masaya shrugged.

"If it holds, however, it can still work," Rise said, determination in her voice.

"In this case, however, we are going to include Ruriko-san into it," Masaya continued his explanation, waving his hand towards the blonde, who waved with a little smile. "As I am under her father's employ, we've decided to say she and I met during her vacation and she believed me suitable for the role of temporary male student. For simplicity's sake, she contacted you about it and you agreed. We have already talked to her about it and she has agreed. The question is, how do you see this plan?"

"I can agree to it," Rise responded almost immediately. "Truth be told, I was unable to find a suitable candidate for the role, but if Ruriko-san is willing to support me on gender integration, and if it will help you in your work, then I will wholeheartedly agree."

Masaya nodded, turning to the girl's grandmother. "Well then, Madame Chairwoman, I believe we have kept the girls outside waiting long enough. It's time to get this show on the road."

* * *

An hour later, Masaya was headed to class with Ruriko and Chiho, the two girls talking between themselves.

The introduction had gone off with little problem. The story provided served to answer the largest of the students' questions (his presence), but what was most shocking to the Filles de la Vincennes was the fact that Ruriko supported gender integration enough to be the one to find a male candidate. This shock dampened the automatic scornful reaction the girls would've had at his presence. After explaining the cover story's details, which took longer than they had anticipated, the students were let go of so they could get to classes. As Masaya was set in class 2-C alongside Ruriko, the two had set off together and joined up with Chiho, who was in the same class, on the way out.

During the walk, Masaya was aware as usual of the stares being sent his way. The majority were scornful, and those that weren't were simply curious. He wondered, not for the first time, just what they taught the girls here about the opposite sex and the outside world, if anything, if this was the reaction they had to even a small sample of it.

It was no different once they arrived at the classroom. As soon as Masaya opened the door, there was a veritable explosion of whispers as the girls began to gossip amongst themselves, the topic of his presence being a largely negative one. Ignoring them for now, he looked at the homeroom teacher, who was gazing at him inquisitively before returning to the book in front of her.

"There is an open seat to Ruriko's left, Masaya," the teacher answered his unspoken query. "You may take that one if you wish."

"Understood," Masaya nodded, following after Ruriko as she and Chiho went to sit. As luck would have it, it was a window side seat, which allowed him a near unobstructed view outside, which was extremely useful for his work.

As class began, Masaya had to admit that this was a novel experience. The last time he had been in a proper school classroom, he had been a child taking Primary Course math and science alongside Chiho. After that, his classes had become more... hands-on, and the only thing that happened in a classroom was typically a lesson on the area of or around a target.

* * *

Sluggishly to Masaya, midday arrived, and the students were let out for lunch. As everyone began to move around him, Masaya kept his gaze on the window, scanning the fields outside for anything suspicious. Nothing looked particularly threatening, though.

"Masaya-san, come on, let's head to lunch," Ruriko called to him from the front of the classroom.

"Coming," he responded, standing and giving the outside field one last sweep with his eyes. Noticing nothing out of place, he headed for the door, where Ruriko and Chiho were waiting, and together, the trio headed out.

Much like the walk to the classroom, the two girls were talking between themselves as Masaya listened and kept watch. However, halfway to the cafeteria, Masaya became aware that his companions had suddenly gone quiet. Taking his eyes away from the window, he looked to find them staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Masaya-san, do you never try to talk?" Ruriko asked.

"It isn't that," Masaya shook his head. "I just prefer to listen. If there's no reason for me to say anything, I won't."

"But why not try and talk with us?" Chiho asked. "I mean, I get that you're a guard and, as much as I hate to say it, we hardly know each other anymore." Masaya nodded, concurring with her points. "But then, why not get to know us, at least? You can't tell me you plan to remain completely anonymous."

"If I were honest, that would actually make my job much easier," Masaya muttered. "But I suppose, my cover being what it is, I won't be able to just get away with being completely under the radar, will I?" Both girls shook their heads, making Masaya sigh. "Very well, I suppose we can talk, but after lunch, alright? And no, by the way, I'm still not planning to tell you my past. Just my present."

Neither girl could contain the pout of disappointment at that.

* * *

After they had gotten their lunches and sat down, they were once again joined by Tamie. This time, however, Rise also came along.

"Salutations," both girls greeted, with Tamie asking, "mind if we sit here?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Ruriko answered, with Masaya and Chiho shaking their heads.

After they'd sat, Masaya became aware that Tamie was staring at him with narrowed eyes, a familiar kind of stare. It was typically the second stare he got when meeting someone; the stare of a person trying to figure out another.

"Something on your mind, Tamie-san?" he said aloud, startling her and putting her under the spotlight.

"I, uh... Well... I don't get you, Masaya-san," Tamie admitted, the other girls pausing their eating to listen in.

"Not the first time I've heard that, but you'll have to be a bit more specific."

"Well, I mean that your personality is so closed... Do you not say anything about yourself, or at all, unless you're asked?"

"No," Masaya responded, sending a meaningful glance at Chiho and Ruriko, who kept their laughter in check, as Tamie's question nearly mirrored their earlier one. As Tamie leaned forward in anticipation, Masaya continued, "More than half the time, I don't answer those either."

Tamie flopped back into her seat with a groan as Rise, Chiho, and Ruriko giggled. "Oh, Masaya-san, you're making my inner reporter cry tears of despair here..."

"Well, it's going to have to suck it up, then," Masaya responded, finishing up his noodles.

The conversation continued as such until the end of their lunchtime, with the girls ribbing Masaya about his lack of expression and the young mercenary retorting in creative, yet somehow still stoic ways.

Once lunch was done, they headed back to the classrooms together, with Rise and Tamie saying their goodbyes at class 2-C's room, where a surprise was waiting for Masaya.

Even before he opened the door, Masaya was aware that the whispers inside the room were oddly active. Making sure that he was in a good enough position to protect his charge should the need arise, he slowly opened the door.

It was partially unnecessary, as the person of interest inside had her sights on him.

When the door opened fully, the first detail Masaya was aware of was that, near the teacher's podium, there was a gaggle of students, spearheaded by a young woman with hair of a deeper shade of yellow than Ruriko's, whose hair was more pale blonde. The blonde bombshell was the center of attention of the entire classroom, and her pose showed confidence, though it wasn't threatening. As soon as she had heard the door open, she had focused on the only male in the vicinity, her eyes zeroing in on his own and locking them there with a challenge.

One that Masaya had no chance of losing.

The two remained there, sizing the other up carefully. To Masaya, the woman seemed to be waiting for him to react, but in a way that made it seem like she expected him to bow down to her. Considering the adoring whispers and looks of worship some of the girls had been giving her before he had come in, which he had noticed when scanning the classroom quickly, he could tell that perhaps it wasn't unfounded.

To the blonde, the young man was a mystery. The way he had quickly looked into the room before they had locked eyes suggested to her he was making sure of something, though of what, she couldn't say. His pose was strong, meant to show a certain amount of passive hostility. And while he wasn't outright glaring, she could see that his eyes were cold.

Then, Masaya stepped inside, his eyes still locked onto her own, with Chiho and Ruriko warily following. He walked directly towards her, his pose never changing, and stopped in front of her. The two of them sized each other up some more, with the blonde having to look up slightly due to his larger build.

Then, suddenly, Masaya stuck out his hand at waist level, surprising the blonde. With a calm voice that oddly fit his empty eyes, he said, "I see that you're here mainly for me, so I guess I'll start introductions. My name's Okonogi Masaya, second year Final Course student, though I'm sure you know that. And you are?"

The young woman was a little slow to respond, but she eventually grasped his hand and shook it primly, noting (just as Rise had) that his hands were rough and his grip was firm but not crushing.

"Salutations, Masaya-kun, I am Myougi Marika, third year Final Course student. I am known as both La Toute Soeur and Grande Fleur."

"I see. Well met, Marika-san."

While Marika only raised an eyebrow at the lack of the standard -sama suffix Vincennes students used for older students, the rest of the students looked at him as if he had killed a puppy, or so he thought. One of the girls of Marika's group, a girl with short, purple hair, stepped forward, jabbing a finger towards his chest.

"Who do you think you-? Ah!"

Whatever her question was was cut halfway, as Masaya had grabbed her wrist before her finger managed to land on his chest with a speed that no one in the room could follow. The cry had escaped her lips when he jerked it away from himself and to the side, and while it wasn't overly painful, she could feel the strain her shoulder had at the position of her arm. The narrowed-eye gaze he had trained on her served to both shut her up and tell her that, if he wanted, he could dislocate her shoulder right then and there.

And then, he said just three words.

"Don't touch me."

And with that, he used his leverage to lightly push her away, back towards her clique. Her other hand immediately grabbed that arm, as if to make sure it wasn't broken, but she eventually relaxed, giving Masaya a wary glare.

"Am I to assume you are not accustomed to using a -sama suffix?" Marika asked, her eyebrow still raised.

"No," Masaya shrugged, "I just don't want to. No offense meant to you personally, but I'm not going to talk to someone as if they're above me unless I have a good reason, especially if they're near my age."

"Would being the student council president count?"

"No," Masaya responded in a deadpan tone, "because for all intents and purposes, that doesn't make you my superior anyways. A teacher, fine. A headmaster or headmistress, most likely. A fellow student..." Masaya shook his head. "Not a chance."

"I see," Marika responded, putting a hand to her chin and supporting that arm with the other. "If that is the case, what is your view on respect in general, Masaya-kun?"

"Simple. At first meeting, I'll have a certain amount of respect, but only enough to not be immediately rude. I'm not going to be bowing down to a person immediately, but I'm not going to ridicule him either. His actions henceforth will determine whether that respect increases or disappears."

Marika nodded thoughtfully. "That is an interesting view, Masaya-kun. But I cannot help but think that most people would think you insolent in that case."

For the first time since she (and most of the others) had met him, Masaya smirked. "You don't know the half of it."

Realizing that nothing more would be forthcoming, Marika nodded at him and stuck out her hand to shake again. "Very well, Masaya-kun, it was a pleasure to meet you. This meeting was quite enlightening."

"Likewise," Masaya responded, shaking her hand. "If you truly are the student council president as you said, then I hope that we can work together in the near future."

Marika nodded, a smile appearing on his face. When their hands separated, Marika motioned for her group to follow her, which they did like sheep went to a herder.

As they stepped outside, the purple-haired girl moved to walk next to Marika. "That boy is so rude," she griped, holding her right arm reflexively. "Are you not offended by how he addressed you, Onee-sama?"

"Not at all," Marika responded primly. "Perhaps, if he had not explained why, I may have been a bit irked, but the fact of the matter is, Masaya-kun has an entirely different mindset from ours. Considering his personality and mannerisms, I would venture a guess that he has not had a particularly easy life."

The girl looked at Marika, noticing that her Onee-sama had an odd smile on her face. It was the type one had when they were pleased, but at the same time, there was something... more in that smile.

Back in the classroom, the Maidens of Vincennes were staring at Masaya, stupefied at his actions. No one, so far as they could collectively remember, had ever acted in such a manner towards those of higher ranking, however slight. It was as if Masaya had been given a booklet on how to act when coming to Vincennes, which he then tossed behind him with a simple 'yeah, no, I'm not doing that'.

And to them, it was almost inconceivable.

Humming thoughtfully as he replayed the conversation between them in his head, Masaya went to his seat, belatedly being followed by Ruriko and Chiho. Once he was sat, he once again gazed out the window, making sure there was no change in the scenery outside. Everything was thankfully in order.

"That was a very bold move you made, Masaya-san," Ruriko finally spoke, taking her seat next to him.

"Bold move or not, I'm not changing myself to fit a mold," Masaya responded, his gaze still on the window. "I'm a male, anyways. The rules of Vincennes are much more lax on me since the ones who made them apparently hadn't expected there to ever be a male in this school, period."

...

...

...


	4. Chapter 4

By the time classes had finished, Masaya was both pleased and somewhat unnerved at the fact that there was nothing to report. He thought there would be some form of imminent threat. Then again, perhaps Ruriko's father was preemptively cautious, asking for assistance before the threat was on the brink of attacking.

This was a better outcome, though. It allowed him to get more acclimatized with his surroundings and, simultaneously, let him cement his cover story.

As the girls around him began to pack up and join up with their friends, Masaya continued to stare out the window, his sight unfocused until a soft voice brought him back to the present.

"Is everything alright, Masaya-san?" Ruriko asked, her hands clasped behind her back and her head tilted to the side, in what he had come to know as the 'adorably curious' expression and pose.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Just thinking..."

"What's on your mind?" Chiho asked as she approached them.

Putting a hand on his chin, Masaya glance out the window one more time, then turned back to them. "The way the situation was explained to me, I had expected there to be some kind of contact immediately." He kept his words deliberately vague, as there were more than a few, not-very-well-hidden eavesdroppers around them. The girls understood his meaning, though, and became serious. "Perhaps it's for the best, but I can't help but be a little on edge due to it."

Before the conversation could continue or be moved, the door to the room opened, immediately drawing Masaya's attention, and allowed in the form of Rousenin Rise. The whispers that had previously been propagating around the room became admiring as she entered, but when she walked in and made her way to his seat, they changed to scornful, with confusion mixed in.

"Salutations, Masaya-san, Chiho-san, Ruriko-san," the pinkette greeted them brightly. After the three responded in their own ways, she continued. "Masaya-san, I was hoping to ask if you'd accompany me to my grandmother's office."

"Whatever for?" Masaya asked.

Rise explained how she was part, and leader, of the White Lily Society, one of a pair of groups in the school that dealt more closely with the issues the students may have in the school. The leaders also served as the most popular, upcoming candidates for next year's holder of the student council president position, which Marika currently occupied. Actual student or not, Masaya was set to be the face of a movement in Vincennes, and as such, it would be prudent to have him present in the meeting that would decide such.

"I see… I suppose it's required," Masaya said, standing up and looking at Ruriko. "Since you're the one who 'found me', I believe you should come as well. Unless you had other plans?"

"No, not for today," Ruriko assured him. "My club activities do not begin until a week from now."

"Would you like to come along, Chiho-san?" Rise asked the remaining person of the trio.

"Oh, no, that's fine. I don't have anything to do with the student government anyways, being a Tourist and all," Chiho laughed nervously.

"Don't say that, Chiho-san," Rise rebuked her, with Ruriko giving her a stern look as well, Masaya noted. "You are as much part of this school as any of us, regardless of when you entered. This year, I plan to do my best to change such misconceptions, beginning with Masaya-san and the irrational fear of boys that is instilled into us, which should theoretically make it easier to change problems inside Vincennes as well. And in that endeavor, I would wholeheartedly appreciate your help."

Chiho (and most of the class) stared at Rise in dumbfounded silence, which was broken a moment later by Chiho laughing, a normal laugh this time. "I can see why you're known as the Soleil D'Ecole, Rise-san. But alright. If you'll have me, I'll help you out."

Rise smiled and turned to the other two. "Well, shall we head out?"

The pair nodded, and together, the foursome headed out. On the way, Rise explained a bit more about the Associations, including events they worked on and issues the tackled. Considering Masaya's presence in the school and Rise's plan to integrate the school, the Associations would likely be entirely split on the gender integration idea.

When they arrived at the Chairwoman's office, they greeted her properly. However, during that, an outraged voice spoke up. "Rise-san, why have you brought _him_ here?"

Masaya couldn't help but think that voice was familiar. Looking up, he recognized the speaker as the same purple-haired girl that had been with Marika earlier, whose arm he had grabbed and threatened to dislocate. He could understand the wary look in her eyes.

"I notice you said nothing about Ruriko-san and Chiho-san's presence, Mitsuki-san," Rise responded dully. When Mitsuki didn't answer, she continued. "I brought him because, knowing what this meeting will be about, I thought it prudent for the person who is the main cornerstone of integration to be present."

"You don't have the right to make that call," Mitsuki countered heatedly.

"Now, now, girls," the chairwoman spoke up in a calming tone. "Not to show favoritism, but Rise is correct. I would have called Masaya-kun and Ruriko here regardless, so this saves us time. But, Chiho, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I asked her to come," Rise spoke up. "I hope it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all. Masaya-kun, Ruriko, Chiho, as you are not part of the Associations, you may stand by the wall. Shall we begin?"

The trio followed the order as the meeting began. The Red Rose Society took the stage first, explaining their goals for the upcoming year. Their explanation went off without a hitch. However, when it came to the White Lily Society, things went south fast. In essence, no one in the society but Rise fully supported gender integration, and when she announced that would be the plan the White Lily Society would work for, the members began 'quitting' one by one, which mainly meant handing in the ribbons that marked them as members.

In the end, Rise was left despondent at the center of the room, one hand filled with blue ribbons.

"Well, Rise-san, it seems all of your support has left you," Mitsuki spoke up smugly. "Now do you see how ridiculous your idea is? Vincennes was never meant to integrate, and the students all know it. It is mainly a women's school-."

"And yet, all you're doing is acting like a little girl," a male voice suddenly interrupted her, drawing all attention to the speaker as he stepped up to the no-man's-land between the Associations. "Stop crowing as if you've already won, Mitsuki-san. The only achievement you have earned is making yourself look like a child." Mitsuki jerked back as if she had been slapped, giving Masaya enough time to turn to the chairwoman. "Madame Chairwoman, a question. It isn't unlawful in any way for a student to support their favored association on their own free will, correct?"

"That is correct, Masaya-kun."

Masaya placed a hand to his chin and hummed in thought. "But it _is_ too late to allow anyone to join as actual members, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Masaya nodded to himself, then turned back to Mitsuki, who was glaring at him. "You're entirely incorrect, Mitsuki-san. Those that refuse to stand with their leader without even trying to understand the reasons for his or her campaign are cowards, and those that start claiming victory long before the battle is over are fools that soon find themselves face first in the dust. Ruriko-san, Chiho-san, and I are still in the room, and we all fully support Rise-san. Isn't that right?"

Breaking from the stupor they had fallen into, Ruriko and Chiho broke out with a powerful, united 'yes!'

Turning to the still-flabbergasted Rise, he smirked and said, "So, Rise-san… have you ever heard of 'political affiliates'?"

* * *

"Alright, Masaya, what was that all about?" Chiho asked a few minutes later as they were exiting the chairwoman's office, staring at Masaya shrewdly. If they were honest, Rise and Ruriko had the same question on the tip of their tongues.

"Hmm… I'm sorry, what?" Masaya said, breaking out of the deep thought he had fallen into.

"You are usually so cold and distant, and yet, you suddenly jumped forward and tore Mitsuki-san down when she spoke up against me," Rise explained what they were all thinking. "Not that I'm not grateful, but what was with the sudden cut-in?"

To their chagrin, Masaya only shrugged and said, "Just a whim."

Her voice filled with exasperation, Chiho asked, "Honestly… are you ever straightforward?"

"I thought I was pretty straightforward with the threat to your safety and the reason I'm actually here," Masaya responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Which is ironic, because I believe most people would prefer not being straightforward about such topics," Ruriko mused. "At least, whenever I asked Father, he would refuse to tell me, claiming I was too young for something like that."

"I've never had that mentality," Masaya said, shaking his head as they exited the classroom building. "In every protection mission I undertake, I make sure to tell my charge directly of the threat to their safety. It's helped prevent them from running around like complete idiots if and when said threat actually showed up."

The annoyance in Masaya's tone made the trio of girls stare at him bemusedly, filling their heads with the image of an exasperated Masaya being shot at while a nondescript person ran all around screaming his head off.

* * *

Later that afternoon, there was a knock at Masaya's door. Looking over at it from his prone position on the bed, he called out, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, allowing in the form of Ruriko, with Panterbell on her shoulder. Now that classes had ended, she had changed into casual clothing, which for her consisted of a string dress of a light pink color and sandals. As the inside of the dorm was kept at room temperature (which felt a little hot to Masaya, probably due to the physical differences between the sexes), she didn't bother with a jacket.

The girl looked around the plain room, which Masaya hadn't gone to the bother of personalizing, before zeroing in on the young mercenary, who was laying on his back on the bed, one arm behind his head and the other arm's hand holding a book. He was still in his black uniform slacks, but he had changed into a simple black shirt.

"Salutations, Masaya-san," Ruriko greeted him with a little bow, Panterbell letting out a 'kuu' of greetings.

"Hello. Something I can help you with?"

"You said earlier today that would explain to me how you are familiar with Rise-san," Ruriko reminded him.

Masaya slowly closed his book and placed it on his chest, closing his eyes. "I did, didn't I?" Sitting up and moving to stand up, he said, "Alright then. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable; this might take a while. Do you want some tea?"

"It would be appreciated," Ruriko nodded, closing the door.

Masaya nodded in return and headed to the kitchenette, setting up a tea kettle on the electrical stove there. Next to it, he put a coffee pot he had brought with him next to the stove and set it to make a batch of coffee alongside the tea. As he waited for both beverages to be done, he stiffened when he felt a touch around his shin. A 'kuu' around that area told him that Panterbell had followed him to the kitchen. Looking down, he gazed at the little white stoat as it trotted around his ankles like a cat.

A small smile came to his face at the gesture, and he reached down, holding his hand out to it. Panterbell looked at it for a moment, sniffed it experimentally, and finally jumped onto his outstretched arm, climbing up it to his shoulders, where he settled comfortably. Smile still in place, Masaya reached up and rubbed Panterbell's back a little awkwardly, making it let out a satisfied, elongated 'kuu' as it settled further onto his shoulder.

"You truly are an interesting person, Masaya-san," Ruriko's voice came from the doorway to the kitchenette. When her little friend had hopped off her shoulder and trailed after her bodyguard, she had followed it, coming up to the heartwarming scene. "I have never seen Panterbell become comfortable with someone so quickly before."

Perplexingly, her words made Masaya's smile slowly disappear. Fearing she had offended him somehow, she kept quiet, but his next words dispelled that thought.

"Maybe he can sense experience…"

He went quiet, and out of pure curiosity (along with hope that she wasn't overstepping her boundaries), Ruriko asked, "What do you mean?"

Masaya stayed quiet for a little while, scratching Panterbell almost automatically, then let out a small sigh and leaned against the counter. "I… I used to have a dog. A husky, actually. I had found him on one of my missions overseas, bleeding out in an alley." The way he began the story sounded interesting to her, but noticing the way he was tightly gripping the countertop, Ruriko couldn't help the cold feeling in her gut. "I nursed him back to health and kept him around after I returned. Got him checked, got a license for him, the whole shebang…"

He went quiet again, and with a faint voice, Ruriko asked, "What… what happened?"

"He died," Masaya responded emotionlessly, his eyes narrowing. "He died protecting me, actually… I had screwed up in one of my missions, where I'd brought him along. I almost died in a gunfight… but then he jumped in, trying his best to help me… and all it got him was a bullet to the head for his trouble." Ruriko gasped, her eyes becoming wet with unshed tears. "I got so angry that I just… snapped. I don't remember what happened, and I don't think I want to, but when I was able to focus, I had killed everyone, including the guy that had put a bullet in his head, but… no amount of death or satisfaction would bring my partner back."

Silence reigned in the kitchenette after the story. Ruriko was dumbfounded at this little titbit of Masaya's life, but not enough that she had spaced out. She could, just barely, see the way Masaya's shoulders had tensed under his shirt, and how his breathing seemed a little ragged. With the tears from earlier now trailing down her face, Ruriko walked up to Masaya and placed a hand on his left shoulder, hoping to make the gesture supportive, and said in a shaky voice, "I… I'm so sorry, Masaya-san…"

Masaya didn't respond. In fact, he didn't even react to her touch. That he hadn't immediately brushed her off pleased her slightly, but just as she thought that, the tea kettle made a shrill sound as it finished boiling the tea inside, and at the same time, the coffee pot stopped moving. As if reacting to the distraction, Masaya returned to his usual, distant self, the shudders in his breathing and body disappearing. He shook his shoulders, pushing off her hand. "It's in the past," he muttered stoically, turning off the stove. "It doesn't matter anymore."

As she watched him busy himself with the kettle and coffee pot, Ruriko couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt shoot through her emotions. To see just a small glimpse of this young man's suffering, and knowing that there was likely so much more that he had gone through and was keeping bottled up inside, was breaking her heart. She had noticed his actions throughout the day: the way he constantly looked around them when walking; how he had looked out the classroom window critically before and after lunch, double and triple checking everything; how he had moved just in front of her when they had returned to the classroom in case there was a threat. She had seen it all.

Ruriko had gotten to know a few of the guards at her family's estate, but so far as she could remember, none of them had seemed as broken as Masaya had looked at that moment of weakness.

And yet, he braved on, sacrificing his own time to protect her. She knew that he had been hired for it, and was probably only doing his job, but seeing someone her age, who had clearly had an incredibly rough life, have to suffer more under an employment like that was heartbreaking for her.

But his rebuke of her comfort did not offend her. Instead, it only lit a fire inside her that made her want to help him… to repay him in some way, and to give him some kind of happiness.

When she thought back on it later, it amazed her that this young man had ingrained himself so much into her psyche in the day and a half he had been in Vincennes.

Masaya, meanwhile, was cursing himself in his head for being so careless. He had no explanation as to why he had told Ruriko that story. He kept telling himself that this was just another job, that he needed to remain impartial, but he couldn't deny that there was just something about Ruriko that made him drop his guard. He wasn't sure what it was, and the only idea he had was not one he wanted to dwell on.

But he couldn't be so careless again.

He poured Ruriko a cup of tea and pointed her towards where the sugar was, then made himself a cup of coffee and walked out of the kitchenette, sitting on his bed again. Ruriko followed after him, kneeling at the coffee table and staring at Masaya. The young man was confused when he saw her determined stare, but decided not to comment on it.

"You wanted to know about my connection to Rise-san, then?" Masaya asked after taking a sip of his bitter drink. Ruriko nodded. "Very well. Tell me, Ruriko-san, what do you know about the Tsurugigaoka Shrine Attempted Murder-Arson?"

Ruriko blinked, stupefied for a moment, then looked down for a moment. "Not much, really," she admitted. "I remember hearing about it, but I never really delved deep into the story."

"I see. Well, that's where it all began, some days before it happened. You see, sometime before I left Tsurugigaoka, at ten years old, I had been walking around the lower part of the hill that leads up to Vincennes, near the shrine itself. If I remember correctly, I had been sulking because a barber had shaved more hair off my head than I had asked for." Ruriko let out an unwilling giggle at that information. "So, because of that incident, I had put on a Keihan Bulldogs cap and went out, looking to find something to do. While I was exploring the woods around there, I heard crying nearby and went to investigate, whereupon I found a girl in a clearing, wearing a yellow sundress and with odd, to me, pink hair that had two small ponytails on top of her head. Sound familiar?" Ruriko nodded. "I came out and asked if she needed help, and she told me that she had gotten lost trying to get to her family's estate. Thinking she was one of the rich kids around, I asked her for her name, and she told me her name was Lis Branche. I asked her where she wanted to go, as I had memorized the basic routes to the area in my exploring, and she said she had to go to the Rousenin estate. So I took her there. I had never told her my name, but I remember her nicknaming me Chien due to the Keihan Bulldogs cap I had."

"That's quite fitting, I think," Ruriko commented with a small smile.

Masaya nodded. "I thought so too. Before I left her, however, she asked me if I wanted to play with her the next day, and since I had nothing planned, I agreed. We spent the next few days leading up to the festival playing together and hanging out, and on the day before, she asked me if I wanted to accompany her to it. I agreed, knowingly breaking a promise that I had made to Chiho-san the day before about going with her. I called her to cancel, telling her I had other things to do, and to this day, I don't know why. I hardly knew Rise-san, but back then, I remember having the feeling that I may not see her again for some time. So in the end, I traded a day with my childhood friend for a day with a new one." Despite the fact that he had said this as emotionlessly as usual, Ruriko could see his pose slacken a little and his eyes fall, showing what she believed to be remorse. He shook his head and returned to himself a moment later. "So, the day of the festival, I was with Rise-san, or Lis as I knew her, playing around like two kids would. But then, the fire began, and the two of us were caught in the middle of the festival, not finding any way out." Ruriko could only imagine it, a younger Masaya and Rise stuck in the middle of a roaring inferno, and the image was a terrifying one to her. "And to make matters worse, I could hear screams of a psychopath with a knife running around, yelling incoherently. I did my best to help Rise-san out of there, but… on the path we had been able to find, _she_ was there, as if waiting for us. The murderer stared at us with a maniacal look. Even then, I could tell she had gone off the deep end, and for some reason, she was focusing more on Rise-san than me. I urged Rise-san to run, but the woman was faster, catching up to us quickly. So, with no other recourse, I grabbed the only weapon I had, which was a slingshot I had won at one of the booths, and hit her with a rock, luckily right on the face. _That_ got her attention, but it also only drove her madder, and just when we were almost out of the area, after I kept telling Rise-san to run, I felt a massive amount of pain on my back and fell to the ground. I remember yelling at Rise-san to run one last time before I passed out, and when I next woke up… let's just say I wasn't in Tsurugigaoka anymore."

Ruriko was left flabbergasted at the story, and she spent some time trying to get her thoughts in order. "So then…" Ruriko finally voiced aloud, her tone faint. "The festival arson… you were both…"

Masaya nodded. "We were both there, targeted by the culprit directly." He placed his cup on the table and stood, taking off his shirt and catching Ruriko by surprise. Her eyes widened and a blush suffused her face as she beheld his toned, topless body, but the lust that she temporarily felt was quickly overshadowed by worry when she processed the fact that his torso had many, many scars. Then he turned around, and her hands flew to her mouth in shock as she beheld the scar of a large, diagonal slice wound on his back, stretching from his left shoulder all the way down to his right hip, where it disappeared into the line of his underwear. Around it were several more scars, ranging all about the scales of depth and length. "See the long, diagonal one? That's where she slashed me," Masaya said before putting his shirt back on and allowing Ruriko to get her bearings in order, meanwhile taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh my… Masaya-san, your body is…" Ruriko began to say, but was unable to finish.

"I know. It comes with the job," Masaya responded, draining the rest of his cup of coffee. He went to the kitchenette to refill, and when he returned, Ruriko looked a bit more composed. "So, two days before I came to Vincennes, I was just returning to the city when I came to witness a very one-sided fight. Five of the Gardiane had cornered and captured a certain pink-haired girl. One that I recognized. But I knew that just walking up to them and asking to talk to her likely wouldn't have worked… so I knocked them all out."

"Pardon?" Ruriko gasped, not sure if she had heard him right.

"To be specific, I fought them and knocked them out two by two, with the exception of the captain, who I beat mano-e-mano. But by the time I'd done so, Rise-san had already run off."

"I don't doubt she would have," Ruriko mused. "Did you really have to go to such an extreme?"

"That was an extreme?" Masaya asked, making Ruriko giggle. "Regardless, I apologized once they woke up, then went home, whereupon I received the call about my contract with your father. And that's the end of it."

Ruriko remained quiet, sipping at what was left of her tea. When she had finished it, she sighed and said, "That's quite a tale." Masaya didn't answer. "But, if you are truly the same person that was with her back then, why do you hold back from telling her?"

Masaya raised an eyebrow. "Ruriko-san, if you saw a guy take down five of your school's guards, then see the same guy, who you know nothing about, in your school two days later enrolling, would _you_ believe him if he told you that he was the same boy that had taken a knife to the back to save you about eight or so years back?"

Ruriko closed her eyes and shook her head, a smile on her face. "I would likely consider them mad."

"Exactly. I wanted to speak to her when I fought the Gardiane, but it wasn't to tell her that directly. My thought was more that I'd get to know who was the girl I'd saved before outright telling her, and let her do what she would with that information."

"But that did not work out, did it?"

Masaya shook his head, then checked the time and stood. "Well, it's time for me to head out."

"Huh? Where are you headed?" Ruriko asked in confusion, standing up alongside him.

As he was pulling on his coat, he looked at her. "Didn't I tell you yesterday? I'm doing rounds."

"Well, yes, but I thought you merely needed to set up a perimeter."

Masaya sighed as he walked to the door. "It's not that easy, Ruriko-san. I need to be on guard duty overnight most of the week. It's the time where the amount of Gardiane are at their lowest, meaning it's also the perfect chance to sneak into the school. So, until the early morning shift comes in, I'm stationed at the bell tower on watch."

"Wait, do you mean you're losing sleep to keep watch over us, even while studying in the daytime?!" Ruriko asked, shocked.

"Don't be so surprised, and also, don't worry about it," Masaya shook his head, putting on his boots and grabbing his night bag. "It's nowhere near the first time, and I don't need that much sleep anyways. From what I've seen, I've already studied most of what we're learning in class." He looked back at her over his shoulder. "So head back to your room if you want, but don't worry yourself over me. I was hired to protect you, and that's exactly what I'm doing."

And without another glance, he stepped out of the room, leaving the girl inside with tumultuous thoughts, all once again over what this young man was doing alone to protect her.

* * *

The next day, after classes, Rise once again returned to classroom 2-C.

"Salutations," she greeted Ruriko. Chiho, and a somewhat distracted Masaya. "You three, I was hoping we could head Maria Hall together. The vote for the Association leader shall be taking place today, but since I'm the only one officially in the White Lily Society, we could perhaps have our first meeting right away."

The two girls nodded in agreement, but when they heard no sound from Masaya, they turned to him.

"Masaya-san?" Ruriko asked the young man, who was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

When he turned back, the girls could see that his eyes were a little vacant, but that disappeared almost immediately as his normal, emotionless look returned. "Yeah, sure."

The girls nodded, though their minds were still on the oddity that had just happened, and together, the four headed to Maria Hall.

Once they arrived at the room where the White Lily was designated to meet, the girls immediately took seats at and around one of the ends of the table. However, to their confusion, Masaya didn't take a seat but instead moved to stand at one of the windows, arms crossed and eyes staring outside.

"Masaya-san?" Rise asked.

"Hmm?"

"Are you not planning to sit?"

Masaya shook his head. "I'll just stay here. You can discuss whatever you want, I'll be listening."

The girls looked at each other and shrugged, deciding to talk as they waited for the voting time to finish. Rise constantly glanced at the door, a hopeful look in her eyes, but no one else came.

After about half an hour, Rise sighed and stood up. "The waiting time is over. I suppose I am the leader of the association then."

The other two girls nodded, with Chiho asking, "So what does us being affiliates entail?"

"For now, we'll just have daily meetings after classes," Rise explained. "With the exception of Sundays, we'll meet here and discuss how the idea of gender integration seems to be going. It won't get truly difficult until the third term, where the actual campaigning starts, but we will have to participate in most events, such as the May Festival and Chant De Noel. We shall keep the meetings up to about thirty minutes once clubs start up. And… that's about it."

The two other girls nodded, and simultaneously, the trio turned to look at the only male, who had yet to move from his spot by the window. The three of them had tried bringing him into the conversation at different times during the half-hour wait, but he either responded with short, perhaps one-word replies, or didn't answer at all. They knew, however, that he was well aware of his surroundings, as he had glanced all around the room at different intervals. He may not have been much of a talker, but the girls could admit to feeling safer knowing that he was there.

…

…

…


	5. Chapter 5

After that first meeting, the White Lily Society began to meet in earnest. Most times, they just spoke about how their days had gone, getting to know each other better, as most questions were taken care of early on. As Ruriko and Chiho were both in Masaya's class, they were the most suited to seeing how the class was reacting to him. Suffice to say, it was being an uphill battle.

Masaya himself wasn't much to talk about. He hardly interacted with the student body, which led to all three of his only friends to scold him for it, scoldings that he barely listened to. He was simply an antisocial person as it was, and since he himself had stated that being a transfer student wasn't his main reason to be there, he wasn't really going to try too hard. His days went the same, going to class and mostly keeping watch on the outside. Once classes were done, he'd meet with the girls at Maria Hall, but he still refused to be part of the conversation for more than a few seconds at most, just enough to get his point across in as few words as possible, and even then it was only when he was directly asked. Instead, he kept guard by the window, and while the girls could admire his determination at doing his job well, it also irked them to no end that he refused to interact with them. The problem was that none of them could understand why. Ruriko had a bad feeling that having been privy to the story of the dog partner that he had lost may have made him want to become more closed off than before, while Chiho was inwardly saddened that the boy she had known as a child hardly wanted anything more with her. As Rise had no prior connection to him (as far as she knew), her displeasure came from the fact that he was so lax about a topic that she was trying so hard to get across to everyone else.

Before Masaya knew it, several weeks had gone by, and yet there was still no contact from any enemy. This was a pretty good outcome for him, as it allowed him to take it easy most days (though he remained vigilant as ever at nights), but it also nagged at him. What could they possibly be waiting for? Not that he particularly _wanted_ there to be an incident (better for him if there wasn't), but it was better to be assured of a threat than to be constantly on edge because of a possible one.

Regardless, May was fast approaching now, and there was still no change in any situation. The gender integration movement was still low, having only gained a minimal amount of supporters; the girls had no luck with getting Masaya to open up; and there was no criminal activity against Ruriko or the school.

At the last meeting of April, Rise brought up a subject that would soon affect them all.

"Alright, everyone, as I'm sure you know, the May Festival is coming up. As one of the societies of the school, it will be our job to come up with an idea for a theme to use." Realizing something, Rise turned to the bodyguard in the room. "Masaya-san, you know of the May Festival, correct?

Masaya nodded, his gaze remaining squarely on the window. "Yeah. The school's way of appeasing the students because they refuse to give them some freedom."

The girls winced at his description of the event, but couldn't really refute him.

* * *

 _One thing they had been able to get out of Masaya was that he absolutely despised the way Vincennes was. In his words, "A school that does its utmost to keep its students naive and pretentious is a complete joke of a school, and its students will come to realize that as soon as they step a foot out in the real world. Boarding schools aren't the problem; boarding schools that shelter the kids under them until they're adults are. It's doubly worse if they're single-sex ones." The girls had tried to refute him at first, stating that this was the way it had been since the beginning of Vincennes, but the young man refused to budge on his point of view. "How it may have been done in the past is no excuse," he had continued. "The fact that most of you in the school and your families are wealthy is probably the only reason this 'school' hasn't gone down under, though by what you say, it just might soon. You, who have the money and influence to land a job anywhere you feasibly desire, don't have to worry about such problems, especially if you're in a situation like Ruriko-san's, who will inherit a very large company." Ruriko had looked hurt at that, so he had amended, "I was speaking about your situation, not yourself, Ruriko-san. But riddle me this: what do you think would happen if a middle- or lower-class school tried the same tactic that Vincennes has?" The girls had no answer to that. Not any that they'd like to give, anyways. Masaya didn't care, though. "The world would chew them up and spit them out like a bad piece of gum, forcefully telling them that choosing the path of ignorance was the wrong way to go. And I can bet, considering how bad the situation currently is out there, more than half of those hypothetical kids would end up dead or in prison."_

 _That had shook them all to the core. Being sheltered as they were, they weren't particularly caught up on lower-world happenings. But even though they knew almost nothing about him, the girls understood that Masaya was much more world-weary than they were, which was likely what had shaped him to be what he now was._

* * *

"Well, yes, if you wish to look at it that way," Rise said, getting the meeting back on track. "Does anyone have an idea for a theme?" Silence echoed in the room, making Rise smile sheepishly. "Well, I suppose expecting there to be ideas immediately would be difficult. The dance is on the fourth, so you don't need to break your brains."

The girls discussed things back and forth as Masaya continued his guard, his mind hard at work. The May Festival was a Vincennes holiday of sorts, which would include an Association-picked event in the day and an all-night ball later on. Masaya wasn't thinking about what he would wear to it, though. He was thinking more along the lines that such an event made the girls the perfect target to attack. He knew that the ball would be in the gym, which had a lack of ground-level windows. This would make it extremely difficult for a sniper to attack, as they'd need to be on a helicopter to be able to have the slightest sight of a target. That left the doors, of which there were four, across from each other on the north and south walls. Those would be vulnerable, but if he kept his rifle nearby, he would be able to ask two of the Gardiane to keep watch around the doors and alert him of any suspicious activity while he stayed inside.

* * *

The next day, when they met, the group still had no idea what to pick.

"Masaya-san, could you help us out?" Ruriko decided to ask.

Masaya glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noting that Rise and Chiho were both looking at him hopefully. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought about it, then sighed and shook his head. "I have nothing immediate. As I have no basis on what kind of event it is, I can't help you out."

The blonde sighed sadly. "The way you word that makes it sound as though you have never been to a dance, Masaya-san."

"That's because I haven't."

The trio of girls gasped simultaneously. "Wait, you have never been to a dance? _Ever?_ " Chiho asked.

"No..." Masaya turned back to them halfway, raising an eyebrow. "Why is that so shocking?"

The girls looked at each other, realizing then that they were used to things like that, even Chiho, who did have parties she had gone to while living in the city.

That train of thought brought a question to Ruriko's lips. "Masaya-san, I must ask... Do you plan on attending the Soiree Dansante at all?"

"Of course," Masaya responded almost immediately, raising the girls' hopes. Said hopes were immediately flattened when he followed that up with, "I do have to keep watch, especially when it comes to a big event like this."

"Is there _any_ time you don't think in terms of work?!" Chiho half-yelled in exasperation. A split second later, she realized what she'd just done (helped by the incredulous stares of Rise and Ruriko, though both secretly thought the same), and her hands shot up to cover her mouth, her eyes shaky as she stared at Masaya. The brunet remained unmoving for a moment, then turned back halfway, his cold eyes boring into her own. The emptiness in them made her shiver in anxiety for a moment, until he looked away and sighed.

"No," Masaya admitted, surprising the girls. "At this point in my life, there isn't."

"But... But why?" Rise asked.

"Simply because I had nothing else for a time," the young man responded. "Not too long ago, and still now, my work was all I knew. Eventually, I suppose it just got ingrained into me to act and behave as if I'm always on the job. It has saved me a few headaches and troublesome situations, I'll admit."

A thick silence fell into the room, with none of the girls knowing how to react to the confirmation of their thoughts. To think that all this young man had known since he was a child was mercenary work...

A sigh from said young man brought them all back to the present. "What is it you want from me, exactly?"

The girls glanced at each other, and Ruriko decided to answer. "We want you to be more like the teen you should have been, Masaya-san."

Masaya tch'ed and looked back to the window. "No can do, I'm afraid. I'm still under orders."

The girls sighed simultaneously. "Well," Chiho ventured, "would you at least dance with us?"

"A dance _would_ be nice," Rise concurred.

Masaya shrugged. "If it's a quiet night, then sure, I suppose I can."

The girls smiled at his acquiescence. A moment later, however, Ruriko sighed and said, "Oh, my, we may have a conundrum."

"How so?"

"If you will dance with us, Masaya-san, we cannot all be your partner," Ruriko pointed out primly. "And the matter of who you dance with first is of great importance."

A thick silence once again blanketed the room, though if someone were to look into the room from outside, Masaya would look entirely unaffected by the atmosphere.

"Is it really?" Masaya asked, one eyebrow raised.

"But of course," his charge responded.

The trio of girls glanced at each other, then at Masaya. To their chagrin, the young man merely shrugged and looked back out the window, saying, "Well then, you can decide that between yourselves. I couldn't care less who went first."

The three girls glanced at each other again, displeasure clear in their countenances, when suddenly, Ruriko's eyes lit up. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "I have an idea for the theme!"

"Oh? What is it?" Rise asked excitedly.

Before Ruriko could explain, however, there was a knock at the door, drawing everyone's attention. Masaya immediately tensed, preparing himself for a threat automatically. As Ruriko glanced at him, Rise called out, "Come in!"

The door opened, and into the room strolled Mitsuki, with most of the Red Rose Society at her heels.

"Salutations," she greeted, with the foursome returning the salute. "I had heard that you were discussing the theme for this year's Soiree Dansante and magnanimously decided to check in on you." The four White Lily members exchanged dubious looks. "I have come to tell you that you may submit your theme without worry, as the Red Rose Society will not submit one. Isn't that right, Ritsuko?"

"Huh? O-oh, yes," a navy-haired girl just behind Mitsuki blurted out, looking flustered. The girl, Kitamikado Ritsuko, was the selected leader for the Red Rose Society, but the White Lily members suspected she was, at most, a figurehead, as it seemed like Mitsuki still pulled the strings.

"What are you talking about?" Rise grumbled. "We don't need your charity."

"Now, now, do you think you can really turn me away so easily?" Mitsuki asked in smug tones. "The Red Rose Society has eleven members, while you only have two affiliates."

" _Three_ affiliates," Rise growled.

"Oh, yes, and Masaya-san, I suppose."

Most of the girls in the room turned to the flippantly mentioned young man, only to see him standing by the window and looking outside, his back to them, seemingly lost in thought. At least, that's what they believed, leading them to jump when he spoke up suddenly. "And yet, that's more than enough to defeat you."

"Please! You're an unwelcome person here, and you have all of three allies," Mitsuki directed her words at him now. "How could you possibly think yourself enough to change a rule that is nearly a century old?"

"Because _everything_ in this world withers away and dies eventually, Mitsuki-san," Masaya responded coldly, turning halfway around and pinning Mitsuki with his gaze. "That includes rules and laws. I may despise how Vincennes works, but I was brought here to be a force. An inescapable law of the world is that everything erodes and becomes brittle with time, and at that point, it takes only the slightest of forces to shatter it and scatter it to the wind."

The room went quiet at his words, but one person spoke up after a moment. "Excuse me, Masaya-san," Ritsuko asked, "but did you say that you _despise_ the way Vincennes is?"

Masaya nodded. "That I did."

"May I ask why?" the Red Rose leader asked, legitimately curious.

Masaya looked back out the window, picking his words. "To be clear, Vincennes itself isn't what I dislike." He motioned to the three White Lilies sitting at the table. "I explained it to these three already before. What I truly despise is the utter ignorance that is present in the student body here about the outside world, a product of its unnecessarily strict rules. Those who come to Vincennes late, such as Chiho-san, know this more than anyone, and yet they're ridiculed and ostracized. And frankly, that pisses me off, because I can guarantee that if any of those girls ended up in a seriously bad situation down in the 'lower world', be it physical or economical... Well, they'd be screwed seven ways to Sunday."

A few of the Red Rose members spoke up heatedly, denying his point. One in particular yelled, "That's not true! My father always informs me of any events in the city!"

"Do you seriously believe that being told of what happens is any substitute for actually witnessing or living it?" Masaya responded in a deathly whisper that silenced them regardless of volume. "No. I agree that keeping yourself informed is smart, but what will you do if you're caught down in the city and surrounded by gangsters? Do you know which way to run? Where to hide? How to best contract the authorities?"

"I always go out with bodyguards," another girl said smugly.

"Do they carry guns?" Maya immediately shot back, catching her off guard. After a moment, she shook her head. "Any kind of firearm?" Again, she shook her head. "Then they're dead," he continued coldly, making her and the rest of the girls jerk in shock. "And by the time authorities or any reinforcements arrive, you would also be dead... or worse."

A deathly silence filled the room at his words.

"And now you see why I despise it, Ritsuko," he addressed the one who had originally questioned him, who looked as shaken as everyone else. "Things weren't as bad back when Vincennes was first formed, so they could get away somewhat with sheltering their high-class kids. But just as technology had changed overwhelmingly since then, so has the way of life of the middle and lower classes of Japan. Oh yeah," Masaya confirmed, noticing the widened eyes of some of them. "This problem isn't exclusive to Tsurugigaoka. This city is simply one of the places where it is easier for such activities to fester. And those are the kind of environments I grew up with. Facing those problems nearly every day; seeing family and friends scarred, maimed, and _killed_ , sometimes for the pettiest reasons. _That_ is why I hate how this school works."

"But..." Mitsuki spoke up in a shaky voice, now truly understanding what Marika meant when she suspected that he had a rough life. Slowly, her preconceptions about this young man were shattering. "If that's the case, why _are_ you here, Masaya-san?"

"Because of her," Masaya nodded at Ruriko, who nodded in confirmation. The White Lilies knew the actual reason (his bodyguard duties), but he decided to explain for the ones not privy to that information. "She convinced me to come and help her, and since I could see that she truly wanted to change it, I agreed. That is the only reason I'm still here, else I'd have turned down the offer or left at first chance."

There was a deafening silence after Masaya's small rant, with none of the girls knowing what to say. Eventually, Rise was the one to switch the conversation around when she asked, "Oh, that's right! You said that you had eleven members, didn't you, Mitsuki-san? How can that be? The voting for members is long over."

Feeling glad at the change of subject, Mitsuki waved towards the shaken girls, who parted and allowed through a small, green-haired figure. "She's not an actual member," Mitsuki clarified. "I decided to emulate your idea of affiliates and get one of my own."

"M-my name is Yanase Konomi," the girl introduced herself, embarrassed at being put under the spotlight. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Konomi," Rise said in wonder. "I see now. Since you're still in Intermediary, you wouldn't be able to join normally anyway."

"Yes, but Mitsuki-sama said I could join as an affiliate," Konomi responded back, a little heatedly.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean to insult you," Rise said hurriedly. "I forgot Ritsuko was your Onee-sama."

"Yes," Konomi nodded, "though that is not the only reason I joined."

"Oh?"

"I joined... to protect my Onee-sama from him!" Konomi exclaimed with what sounded like great difficulty. Unlike with Mitsuki, however, Masaya didn't respond to her. Instead, when the girls looked at him, he seemed to be legitimately focused on whatever was out the window. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

Masaya did just that, stepping closer to the window. His tensing shoulders was all the warning the girls received before he suddenly turned around and ran for the door, yelling, "Out of my way!" The Red Rose girls at the door immediately jumped away, leaving the way free for him to run outside. As he exited, he yelled into the room, "All of you, stay in here!"

And with that, he slammed the door closed, his rapid steps fading down the hall.

"What in the world is he talking about?" Mitsuki asked aloud, heading for the door.

"No!" Ruriko exclaimed, surprising everyone and stopping Mitsuki from opening the door. "Don't go outside. You heard him." The Red Roses looked at her in askance as she stood and moved to the window, but acquiesced.

Outside, Masaya was running towards a group of bushes that were visible from the window he had been standing guard, his right hand ready to reach into his jacket. Just as he had heard Konomi's declaration, his eyes had registered an odd sight at those bushes. When he focused, he realized that there was an odd glint there, as if there were some kind of lens peeking out. As soon as he thought that, the glint disappeared and the bush shook slightly, cementing it for him and making him run out of the room.

As he arrived at the spot he'd seen, he slowed down and approached carefully. With a quick backhand move, he parted the brambles, bringing to view a small clearing where a person could easily kneel. Unsurprisingly, however, there was nothing and no one there. Looking around, he spotted a couple of fresh boot prints on the dirt ground, leading southward. He immediately pulled out his phone and dialled the Gardiane station.

 _"Hello?"_

"Chika-san, it's Masaya," the young man said hurriedly to the captain that had responded. "Tell any Gardiane officers you have near the dormitories to head there and be alert. I believe we may have an intruder."

 _"Understood. Orders have been relayed. What is your current position?"_

"At Maria Hall. I spotted movement by the bushes east of the entrance to the building, but by the time I got there, whoever was inside fled southward."

 _"Gardiane officers are in position, Masaya-san. Will you meet them there?"_

"No. Ruriko-san and several others are here with me. I'll stay here and keep watch.

 _"Very well. Stay safe."_

"Likewise."

Masaya sighed as he ended the call. He would have preferred chasing after the bastard himself, but he couldn't be sure that the guy was working alone, meaning he couldn't leave Ruriko undefended. He did feel a little surer now, though, as he knew that there had to be some kind of concrete threat if there was espionage involved.

A rustle to his left made him snap to that direction, his hand flying inside his jacket. That hand stilled when he registered the origin of the noise as a wide-eyed Nogi Tamie, her camera in her shaky hands.

"Tamie-san?" Masaya asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously as a hypothesis came to his mind. "Were _you_ the one hiding here?"

"N-No!" Tamie exclaimed, waving her hands in his direction. "I was nearby and spotted someone here, but when I got closer, I guess they got spooked by you and ran off!"

Masaya sighed, pulling his hand out of his jacket but not dropping his guard. If she hadn't been the one hiding here, then who?

"Were you able to see anything about the person here?" Masaya asked her.

"No. Like I said, when I approached, he ran off, but I don't think it was because of me."

"That's good, actually," the young man sighed, turning back to Maria Hall. "If he _had_ spotted you, who knows what he could've done?"

"What do you mean? You know who that was?" Tamie asked him, walking alongside him.

"No, but I can guess why he or she was here," he responded, pulling out his phone and writing and sending an email so quickly that Tamie was unable to catch even the smallest glimpse of it. The pair arrived in front of the door to the White Lily Society meeting room just as he received confirmation of it being sent, with Masaya opening the door.

As soon as it was open, he was bombarded by the inquisitive sights of the girls inside. The Red Roses likely wondered why he had acted as he did, while the White Lilies probably wondered what had alarmed him like that.

"Masaya-sama, what did you see outside that caused you to run like that?" Ritsuko was, surprisingly, the first to speak up. From what he knew of her, she was typically a quiet girl, preferring to listen rather than speak most times, much like him.

"An intruder, possibly," Masaya responded, surprising them all. "I spotted an odd glint outside, but by the time I got there, it was gone. There were traces of someone being there, though."

The girls began to gossip between themselves in shock, wondering what or who it had been. One voice in particular, that being Konomi's, said loudly, "Why, that fiend! I should go out there and challenge him to a duel! How dare he try and spy on my Onee-sama?!"

"I would not recommend that, for a few reasons," Masaya said to her, leaning against the table. When she (and the rest of the girls) looked at him, he continued, "For one, I doubt you'd be able to catch up with him. For another, the Gardiane are already searching for him, so you'd likely only hinder them."

Konomi looked frustrated at his points, but didn't argue. Masaya closed his eyes and sighed, glad he didn't have to try and persuade her further. Sensing someone near him, he opened his eyes again and spotted Ruriko right in front of him, standing almost uncomfortably close.

"Uh, Ruriko-san?"

"Masaya-san," Ruriko said in a low tone, making sure the girls around couldn't hear her or weren't paying attention, "Was the intruder after me?"

Masaya raised an eyebrow, reminding himself once again that, for as clueless as she may appear at times, Ruriko was uncannily perceptive when she wanted to be. "I'm not entirely positive, but it's very likely. As far as I'm aware, you're the number one target here in Vincennes, Ruriko-san. So unless the intruder had been given specific instructions to spy on someone else, you need to be nearly as on guard as I am."

Ruriko nodded seriously, but Masaya noticed she didn't move from her position in front of him. Looking down, he noticed that their knees were nearly touching, and if his eyes weren't mistaken, she was leaning forward ever so slightly. When he looked back up into her eyes, he was met with an almost pleased expression, complete with a little smirk.

"Ruriko-san, what are you doing?" Masaya asked in a deadpan tone.

"Whatever do you mean, Masaya-san?" the blonde girl asked in a faux-curious tone, once again taking the 'adorably curious' expression she took whenever she asked him questions.

Masaya sighed and stepped away from the table he was leaning against, momentarily pressing their bodies together and making Ruriko gasp lowly in surprise. When she stepped back, he turned and walked to the window, leaving her standing by the table and looking his way with an unreadable expression. When she looked back to the table, however, it was to be met by the searching sights of Rise and Chiho. When she raised an eyebrow in askance, both girls made an 'hmph' noise and looked away.

* * *

Just a few minutes later, everyone decided to end their meetings and head to the dormitory. As they were all in the same dorm, with the exception of Konomi, they headed there as a group, with three of the Red Roses splitting from them to head to either the library or the cafeteria. As they walked through the path that led to the dorm, with the girls talking between themselves, Masaya kept a careful eye on their surroundings, something that Tamie noticed.

"Is something up, Masaya-san?" she asked, slowing down to walk next to him.

"Not necessarily. Just keeping an eye out for our 'guest'," Masaya responded, his eyes narrowed.

"You think he's still around?" Tamie asked, holding her camera in her hand.

Noticing the movement, Masaya placed a hand on her shoulder, slowing her further down until they were well out of earshot. When she looked at him, he asked, "Tamie-san, I need to talk to you about something."

"What's up?"

"I need you to lower your spying activity around me," he said bluntly, making her step back.

"Y-you saw me?!" she exclaimed.

"Of course. You're not bad, but still an amateur, I'm afraid," Masaya responded, making her groan. "But I ask because it's putting me on guard unnecessarily."

"What do you mean? Are you acting as security now or something?"

"Or something," Masaya responded dully. "Just cool it around me, alright?"

Noticing the seriousness around him, Tamie became serious and nodded. "Very well, if that's what you need."

"Thank you."

* * *

Just as they were arriving at the dormitories, the group was stopped by a pair of Gardiane officers, who immediately zeroed in on one member.

"Masaya-san, is it possible we can speak with you?" the leftmost one, a young woman with amber hair and black eyes, said.

Masaya nodded, noticing the multitude of curious stares that he received from the group of girls. Looking at them, he waved his hand towards the dormitory and said, "You girls go on ahead. It's nothing big."

Still sceptical, the girls nonetheless acquiesced and moved on, continuously shooting him odd looks. When they were out of earshot, Masaya became serious and faced the pair, now properly processing the two of them. The other officer was a woman of about the same age, with pale blonde, short hair and green eyes.

"Alright, what is it?"

"The intruder that you warned us about… we captured him."

Masaya's eyes widened slightly. "You did what now?"

The blonde officer nodded. "Squad 2B spotted him and immediately asked for assistance from squads 4D and 6F, who were nearby. With six of us against him, he did not stand a chance."

Masaya's eyes went from wide to dangerously narrow. "That was a foolish move, but if you achieved results, then I won't criticize you much. What did you do with him?"

"He is currently at the Gardiane station, handcuffed to a chair. We came to see if you would prefer to interrogate him. I'm afraid that we don't really have much expertise in that field," the amber-haired officer said.

"Very well, I'll head over there now," Masaya nodded, turning around. "Keep a lookout on the dorms. We can't be sure that he was working alone."

After receiving confirmations from them, he headed to the station.

* * *

When he arrived at the Gardiane station near the gates, he noticed that there were quite a few Gardiane around, looking on edge and constantly glancing towards the station whilst talking between themselves. He sighed and pulled out his phone, sending a quick text message to his operator where he worked at. Putting away his phone, he walked to the door of the Gardiane station, immediately drawing the attention of the surrounding officers, and knocked.

The door was promptly opened by the current captain on duty, a short-brown-haired woman named Aiko.

"Aiko-san," Masaya greeted her with a nod. "I was told you had the intruder in captivity."

"Indeed," Aiko responded. "He awoke just a minute ago, but he has refused to say a word."

Masaya nodded, expecting this. From his experience with the gangs in the city, the people serving in them were extremely loyal in most cases. "Don't worry, Aiko-san. I know how his kind work. This is normal for them. Let me handle this."

Aiko stepped aside, allowing him entrance but not closing the door, letting the Gardiane officers standing outside see into the station. The inside of the small building was oddly plain when compared to the rest of the school, with mauve-coloured walls, a few chairs around a long table, and a trio of desktops at one wall surrounded by screens, where the feeds of the security cameras around the school were being shown.

At the table, handcuffed to one of the chairs, was a nondescript man with jet black, short hair and equally black eyes. He was wearing loose, casual clothing that likely would've let him blend into crowds in the city easily. Here in Vincennes, however, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

When he had heard the door open, the man had looked up, gazing at Masaya with what seemed like a mad grin. "So the guard dog appears," he spat out. "I had a feeling Kamiyagi had hired someone. Didn't think it'd be you, though, Okonogi…"

"So you know of me," Masaya responded stoically, approaching him.

"My superiors do, alright. You're something of a curse in our circle… you and your stupid interfering with our plans," the man laughed derisively.

Masaya stopped just in front of him, eyes narrowed. "Then I'm sure you already know how this is going to go. Are you willing to talk?"

"And just what will I get out of- urk!"

The man's question was cut off when Masaya's hand shot forward and clamped itself around his neck, squeezing tightly enough to cut off his air flow easily.

"How does suffering a little less sound?" Masaya asked rhetorically, an eyebrow raised calmly as if he weren't the least bit concerned about the man's bulging eyes and cheeks. When the man's cheeks bulged further and he began clawing desperately at Masaya's hands, the brunet lightened his grip but didn't let go, allowing only so much air to get through the man's trachea. "Well?"

To the surprise of the Gardiane watching (who were already feeling nervous about the act of cruelty going on), the man only laughed in a raspy voice. "Do whatever you want to me; you'll get nothing. It wouldn't compare to what _he_ would do to me if I said anything."

"That so?" Masaya asked, noticing the flicker of fear in the man's eyes when he mentioned the unknown. "Alright then."

The brunet reached down and grabbed the cuffs holding the man to the chair, then looked back and held his other hand out. "Aiko-san, the keys, please."

She was a little slow to react, but eventually passed them over, allowing Masaya to unlock the cuff holding on to the chair and lift the man out of it. Before he could try anything, Masaya quickly pulled back the man's free arm, making him whimper in pain, and cuffed him properly, grabbing him by his upper right arm and jolting him away from the table just as a Gardiane officer came running to the station.

"Captain, there is a black truck stopped just in front of the gates," she said between light pants.

"That's for me," Masaya said before Aiko could answer. He pulled the man in front of himself, then began to frog march him out of there, the Gardiane by the door parting to let them through and following them after they were outside.

"Where are you taking me?" the man groaned, his left arm still stinging from the pull that Masaya had made earlier.

"Don't worry about it."

The gates opened automatically as he approached with the prisoner, and by the road, a truck reminiscent to an American S.W.A.T. transport van was parked, with two guards at its side.

"Wait… what are you planning…?" The prisoner was now shaking a little, a bad feeling in his gut. He wasn't expecting _this_ when he had accepted the scouting mission.

Masaya didn't answer. Instead, he forced the guy to his knees in front of the truck, allowing the guards to hold him there. "Since you didn't want to talk, I suppose I'll just leave you here," Masaya said, beginning to walk away.

Both the intruder and the Gardiane watching looked at him, each having their own thoughts of the brunet. Those thoughts promptly changed direction when Masaya stopped halfway to the gates, turned, and pulled out an object from inside his jacket pocket, aiming it at the man.

Several cries of alarm and shock were heard due to the three silenced gunshots that tore through the air.

The man gasped and yelled in pain as each bullet found its mark on his torso, creating a skewed triangle on his back. He jolted, his senses overloading from the pain of the penetration, which faded quickly as the sudden blood loss from his punctured heart became too much for him to bear.

The Gardiane stared in horror at the slumped body of the intruder, held up only by the hands of the two security guards that had been holding him before. The wall of the truck had been somewhat splattered with the blood of the man due to Masaya's aim, but as if reacting to that thought, two more men came out from the truck and proceeded to quickly and easily clean the stain from the side of it. Simultaneously, the group of Gardiane looked back at the young man, eyes wide, and their horror mounted upon seeing his blank countenance, eyes expressionless and arm still extended from shooting the man.

He slowly lowered his arm, then placed his gun back inside his coat and said, "Remember the clean-up procedure."

The two soldiers holding the body up nodded, and the one on the left lifted the man like a sack of potatoes, walking inside the truck. With nothing more than the sound of a fading engine, the truck sped away, headed down the hill. Masaya, meanwhile, stayed at the gates, thoughts tumultuous. It would be difficult to find out where the man had come from, but not impossible. If and when the company he worked for found out who the man was, they could track where he came from, and Masaya could hopefully end this guard job early.

When he turned back to the gates, he was unsurprised to see the Gardiane still gathered there, eyes wide in utter shock at what he had done. He sighed in annoyance, though a part of him understood that he really shouldn't be so surprised they were startled.

"Well, I suppose now you've seen first-hand how I work," Masaya stated, walking towards them.

"Is... Is that all you have to say?!" Aiko exclaimed, walking up to him with a fierce glare, though she was still sweating from her shock. "Is that all you have to say for yourself after having _killed a man_?"

Masaya raised an eyebrow. "And, pray tell, what would you have done, Aiko-san?"

"Certainly not that!" Aiko screamed, pointing towards where the intruder had been kneeling. "He was captured! Beaten! What reason could there have possibly been for you to kill him?!"

Masaya returned her glare ten times over, making her step back in fear. "To not run the risk of him finding his way back here again, with reinforcements. If we'd captured him, we'd have to turn him over to the police, _guaranteeing_ that he'd be out in three days at most for a bullshit charge." Aiko began to step back further, with Masaya matching her every step. "He'd go spill to his boss what he learned, and then he'd send a group of his own mercenaries to storm this place and kill my charge, Ruriko-san, or worse, _everyone here_. Why do you think Ruriko-san's father chose to employ the services of a private military company to protect his daughter? Because the corruption down in Tsurugigaoka is at an all-time high. Killing that man was an easy decision because he was a piece of trash. He willingly followed a man that is hell-bent on having all of Tsurugigaoka, and Japan if possible in his lifetime, under his foot. By killing him, I ensured that his boss remains unaware of my presence here, buying my company more time to find where he's hiding so we can storm _that_ place and kill him." Masaya stopped walking after Aiko, as she was now in the midst of the rest of the Gardiane, who were looking at Masaya with equally disbelieving eyes. "I held hope that at least you, the security force here, would be more in the know of how bad things are in Japan. But it seems my hope was worthless. I suggest you all get more informed, ladies, because a parasite has been growing down in the city, and I feel that it's soon going to start climbing that hill to attack this place."

"But why Vincennes?" one Gardiane woman asked.

"Because, regardless of its isolation, it's still a very famous place in Japan. It's practically known for being an impregnable place. And the man responsible for that intruder being here wants to show that he can still pierce that defence in a manner that displays his power and reach. If he gets to kill the heir of a famous company in the midst of it, that's twice as good for him."

The Gardiane were left speechless at his words. Truth be told, they had no idea that was how people saw Vincennes. However, it did fit. Hardly anyone knew what went on inside the walls, and whenever anyone was caught attempting to enter it without authorization, they were apprehended quickly. The school had earned a reputation for being a tall, impregnable place where powerful young women could be made, but as they lived in it and saw its flaws, the Gardiane didn't see that.

"I'll be heading back to my room," Masaya stated, walking past the gates. "Whether you want to work with me or not, I'm still going to do my job. It's up to you to decide whether you will support me in keeping these girls safe at all costs, or whether you will stand aside. Because if any of you decide to support the madman that is causing all of this trouble..." Masaya looked back, his eyes stormy. "I will show you as much mercy as I did to that man."

And with that, he left, leaving behind a group of shaken and dubious Gardiane officers.

...


End file.
